Dreamer's Sky
by Kathy the Great
Summary: I'm re-doing this. It'll be better. In case you're curious, this is my LZ story, and if you like LZ, you'll love it to pieces. At least, after it's been redone.
1. Prologue

AN: Okay, I'm going to say this right now and don't ever make me say it again: I. DO. NOT. OWN. ZELDA. This statement applies to this chapter and all those following, so HA, you can't sue me.  
  
Aaaaaaaaaaanyway, I was looking at this story the other day because I was bored and it came to my attention that the whole thing was full of â€? those things. Well, it pissed me off, so I decided to go through and take 'em all out, and in so doing, I decided to change everything about this story that annoyed me, from key plot moments down to specific words. So now what we basically have here is a new and improved version of my story. Read it, it kicks ass.

Link raced up yet another flight of stairs. He could hear the mysterious organ music growing steadily louder and knew that at last, he must be nearing the top of the tower. The thought spurred him to run faster, and in a few seconds, he reached a broad landing and burst through its door.  
  
Sure enough, sitting at an enormous pipe organ was Ganondorf, the King of Evil, and Link's greatest enemy. He did not appear to have noticed the boy's entry, though someone else did: at a faint rapping sound, our hero looked up to see an extremely frightened-looking Princess Zelda encased in a large pink crystal, knocking on the glass helplessly, gazing down breathlessly. The sight of this stiffened Link's resolve, and he approached Ganondorf with determination, his eyes blazing.  
  
Link moved forward steadily until it became impossible that the Evil King remained unaware of his presence. Feigning disinterest, Ganondorf played on for perhaps a moment more, then slowly turned and faced his adversary. In a low, rumbling tone he said:  
  
"For seven years I searched for those two Triforce pieces." The sound of his terrible voice echoed through the room. "But never... never did I imagine that they would be within you two!" He stood up from the organ bench, flinging back his cape (rather impressively, one had to admit) as he did so. His eyes glowed with a sinister light. "I command you to return them to me," he stated almost calmly in a way that taunted one to respond.  
  
"Never," Link replied firmly without missing a beat. His stance did not waver an inch; his eyes still glowed with a certain passion. He was not turning back now. This was what he had been born to do, and by the Goddesses, he was going to do it.  
  
Ganondorf's expression turned to fury. "These toys are too much for you!" he screamed, raising his gloved right hand and displaying the symbol emblazoned on the back of it: it was the Triforce mark, but the only triangle filled in was the top one. Power. Link looked down grimly to see the Triforce of Courage coming to light on his own hand, and knew that the same was happening to Zelda with hers of Wisdom. Ganondorf was laughing lightly.  
  
"So," he remarked. "It is just as was foretold by our Princess. The pieces of the Triforce have been reunited at last." Link was filled with a warm feeling; his fatigue drained away from him as his muscles, bruised and sore, slowly recovered. Beyond him how, but he knew that this had to be the will of the Goddesses. Meanwhile, Ganondorf was still speaking. "I suppose you know by now that the end of the prophecy was never really determined, was it?"  
  
"It said only that the stronger would prevail," Link answered. It might have been an agreement; it wasn't supposed to be. He kept his tone even.  
  
"That's right!" Ganondorf stood to his full height, which was quite imposing, but still Link stood unfaltering, never showing the quiet fear that was slowly mounting within him. "So, with her Highness"—Link detested the sarcasm in his voice—"unable to help, it seems it is down to you and it is down to me!" He shook his head in rage. "These toys are too much for you!"  
  
Link only drew his sword. The battle began.  
  
How long it raged on, he could never tell. It might have been minutes, maybe hours, it didn't matter. Link's goal was as simple as Ganon's death. Let him feel the pain, Link thought as he struck and retreated. Let him know what it feels like to lose everything. Let him be afraid. Link jerked his head back out of those emotions. Hatred was where evil came from in the first place.  
  
Ganon had been weakening slowly, and now it had reached the point where, despite his best efforts, there was little or no fight left in the man. His cape and clothes were holed and tattered, and his face was greyed with exhaustion and over-use of powerful magic. Link fired a well-placed Light Arrow, and the Evil King fell. The hero struck with the Master Sword until Ganon was hardly moving. Link looked down on the man, and took pity on his near-dead form for a second too long. Ganon lifted his head and threw his cape aside.  
  
"The great King of Evil... beaten by this kid?!" He raged. Suddenly he coughed furiously and produced blood. When he stopped he was breathing heavily and could not find the strength to stand. Link was on guard anyway. "Link!" And with that, Ganon suddenly started to glow. The tower shook violently as the room came down around them, and when Link could see next, he was standing on top of Ganon's castle, watching as his enemy fell. He descended to his knees, and then tumbled face-first into the stone. His cape spilled around him with the implication of blood. Link turned away in a mixture of regret and disgust.  
  
There came a whistling sound and the boy looked up. Descending from the sky was the large pink crystal with Zelda inside. The crystal landed smoothly, and then faded, leaving only the Princess. She looked over her shoulder at the fallen man.  
  
"Ganondorf... pitiful man..." she said solemnly. "Without a righteous heart, he could not control the powers of the Triforce, and..." Suddenly, the whole tower began to quake. Zelda realized quickly what was happening.  
  
"Link! With his dying breath, Ganondorf is using the Triforce of Power to make the tower collapse!"  
  
Suddenly adrenaline was pumping through Link's body again. "Is there a way out?" he asked breathlessly.  
  
"Yes," the princess said with the slightest bit of fear creeping into her voice. "But we cannot delay. Follow me!"  
  
Zelda ran as fast as her skirts would allow to a ramp on the side of the tower that Link hadn't seen before. He raced after her, and they began to descend the high building. The path she was following appeared to be some kind of emergency escape route (which, Link thought, was exactly what it was being used for). It twisted in and out of the building, often barricaded by steel bars which Zelda had to lift with magic. They did make it out, but it was with seconds left. The two of them stopped to gather their breath as the tower collapsed behind them.  
  
"It's over... it's finally over..." the princess breathed. Navi was busy apologizing to Link about not being able to fight Ganon with him, but the boy would have none of it. However, the moment of relief was soon broken by a loud and alarming noise coming from the ruin. Link cautiously moved forward to investigate, slowly, making sure not to disturb anything. All of the sudden, to the shock of Link and Zelda, no less than Ganon himself sprang up from the fallen castle. He hovered in the air a little bit above the ruin, his eyes still glowing in a rage. With a jerking motion, Ganon raised his right hand. The Triforce emblem still glowed. Suddenly Ganon screamed, and he was engulfed in a blinding bluish light, and when he was visible again, what Link and Zelda saw was unbelievable. Now, they saw not a man, but a horrendous, hideous monster. His head was topped with two fearsome horns, he was at least twice as tall, and in his hands, he carried two huge, vicious knives. In a blind surge of strength, the beast Ganon had become waved the knives about wildly, knocking the Master Sword out of Link's hands. It landed blade-down on the edge of the foundation, and before Link could reach it, Ganon set up a ring of fire that just blocked off the weapon. Almost wistfully, Link drew his Biggoron Sword, and another battle began.  
  
This time around, Ganon was far more dangerous; though, if truth be told, so was Link. Though the Biggoron's Sword possessed no magic power, as the Master Sword did, its physical strength easily doubled that of the other. This made the fight considerably more dangerous, especially for Link, who was on the receiving end of Ganon's blows. But in the end, Link's will to win was far greater, and he managed to reclaim the Master Sword. With the help of Zelda's powers along with those of the six sages, Link, the Hero of Time, defeated Ganon, and all eight of them joined to seal him away in the Sacred Realm, for a time, at least.

A/N: yeah, yeah, yeah. Beta, anyone? Email me. And thank goodness for QuickEdit.


	2. Change

AN: This first chapter is in two parts. They were actually supposed to be two chapters, but while important, they're short and a little boring, so I decided to combine them. Stick with me, I promise the next chapter rocks.  
  
  
  
The Princess Zelda of Hyrule, leader of the seven sages and Matriarch of the House of Harkinian, sat quietly in the great hall of Hyrule Castle, awaiting the arrival of her father, the King. He had requested an audience with his daughter. Zelda had been wondering what her father could want to talk about, but had not long to wait, for the King entered shortly.  
  
"Ah, Zelda," he said cheerfully.  
  
"Father," she smiled. "It has been so long since wo could speak without worrying about Ganon, hasn't it?"  
  
"Too long, really," he said. "Let us not dwell on the past. I asked you here today that we may speak of the future."  
  
"The future?" Zelda wondered.  
  
"Yes," the King answered. "But first, there is a bit of history that you should know….Do you remember that day, seven years ago, that Ganondorf initially revolted?"  
  
"How could I forget," she murmured, suddenly remembering screams, flames, and terrible panic, all flowing through her at once—  
  
"I am sorry to make you remember that," her father apologized, jerking her back into the present. "What you might not know, is that that day, Ganondorf threatened to kill me."  
  
"He didn't!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, he did, and he would have succeeded, too, had there not been spells placed on me for defense. Instead of killing me, his curse was warped. As it were, I would not be killed by the curse until the Triforce was at peace."  
  
"And the Triforce is at peace," Zelda said, realizing what that meant. "Then you will…die." It was hard for her to say.  
  
"I will," he said. "But first, I must choose an heir." The king paused, looking at his daughter. He sighed. "A part of me wishes that you had been born a boy, my dear. There is no one I would rather entrust the throne to. However, the laws clearly state…." He trailed off.  
  
"Then you have made your decision?" she asked blankly, still in a state of shock over the news.  
  
"Yes. The one who will become my heir, is Link."  
  
"Link?" she said, startled out of her shroud of gloom. "But he is not one to rule a kingdom! He likes adventures, and battles, and roaming—"  
  
"And that's exactly why it must be he," the king interrupted.  
  
"I don't understand," his daughter said quietly.  
  
  
  
He turned away and strode over to the window. As he looked out over that particular courtyard that was outside, he said, "Because he will find a way out. He will somehow make it so that Hyrule does not need him to rule. And…perhaps his ambitions will lead him to realize a dream of mine…."  
  
"You mean, rule by the people, like in ancient Holodrum?" Zelda asked. "Well, it is not impossible, but—"  
  
"I have faith in him," The king interrupted, not wanting to hear what she would say next: that it would be very difficult to accomplish, and may not work.  
  
The princess got up and went over to her father. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "You are a good man, father, and a wise king. I am sure your choice is for the best," she said, doing her best to mean every word.  
  
"There will be a banquet in a week's time to officially inform Link of his new royal position," he told her. "Invitations have already been sent out."  
  
"Will you still be…with us…then?" she shakily asked.  
  
"If it kills me," the king smiled. "My wise Princess Zelda…what kind of afterlife can I possibly have without you and your mother?"  
  
This was simply too much for Zelda. She turned and ran from the room, even as her blue eyes filled with tears. The king watched her go.  
  
  
  
The arrow, painstakingly whittled and fletched to perfection, cut through the air in a perfect line, hitting the handcrafted archery target right on the bull's-eye, and it did not stop there, it went straight through the wood so that only the end of a feather was still visible. Fifty feet away, Link grinned. It was his best shot yet, easily. He directed his palomino horse, Epona, toward the target so thet he could retrieve the arrow, but upon his arrival found that it was wedged so solidly that he could do nothing more than cut the end off. Good enough for him. He did so and returned to his shooting distance. Link let fly with two more arrows, both of them hitting the center as well. After that, he found that his quiver was empty, so he gathered his things and struck out for home.  
  
It had been only a month and a half or so since Ganon was destroyed, but Hyrule's landscape looked as though it had been a decade. The flowers were blooming again, the birds were singing again, and there was no longer a freezing wind blowing in from the east. Long-thought-extinct rabbits hopped out of the way of Epona's hooves as she and her rider crossed the great plains of Hyrule Field, where the sun was in the 1:00 position. Link was glad that it was now only a memory of when the sun didn't dare to shine.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Link suddenly saw movement. He reined in his horse and viewed a royal scout crossing the great field, headed right for him. Link called a greeting. "Hey-ho?"  
  
"Greetings, Link!" the scout yelled back. He continued across the field on his bay, stopping when he reached Link. Then he dismounted and bowed. Link nodded in return. "I've an invitation for you," the scout said, drawing out a scroll an handing it to Link. The red wax seal was stamped with the Triforce mark. "Thanks," Link said. The scout bowed again, mounted his horse and rode off. Link watched him go, then opened the seal and read the letter:  
  
TO LINK, THE HERO OF TIME:  
  
HIS MOST ROYAL MAJESTY, KING HARKINIAN XIII, RULER OF THE NATION OF HYRULE, HIS WIFE, QUEEN JASPELA, AND HIS DAUGHTER, PRINCESS ZELDA II, WISH TO CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO A BANQUET IN YOUR HONOR IN THREE DAYS AT 19:00 IN THE GREAT HALL OF HYRULE CASTLE. PLEASE SHOW THIS INVITATION AT THE DOOR. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENCE.  
  
SINCERELY,  
  
GIBSY  
  
MASTER OF PALACE CEREMONIES  
  
Link rolled the letter back up. A banquet in his honor….whatever for? Probably the whole hero thing. He tucked the parchment into a saddlebag and continued towards the forest. It would be a very interesting week.  
  
Link made it to his home around 2:15. He put Epona into her adjacent stall, filled her water trough and feed bag , and went into his cabin. He lived simply; ever since he'd learned he was a Hylian, life with the Kokiri was no longer satisfying, so he'd elected to build a cabin outside of the village and live alone with Epona. He'd visit from time to time, and it would always be home, but he just didn't fit in there. Come to think of it, he never had, except in the eyes of Saria. The green-haired forest girl had always been his best friend, save for maybe Epona. Recently, however, he'd learned she had had a crush on him, which put a bit of a damper on their relationship, but he was choosing to ignore this fact.  
  
Link had friends outside the forest as well. He'd managed to stay close to Malon, the girl from Lon Lon Ranch who gave him Epona, as well as her father, Talon. As a matter of fact, Link was to marry Malon in the spring. It had been Talon's idea, but Link had had a crush on Malon since he first met her in the castle town square all those years ago, and most certainly did not mind. He was also still friends with Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit, Darunia, the Sage of Fire, and Darunia's son, who was named after Link. He divided his time between visiting these people, practicing his archery, building things, looking after Epona, gathering food and water, and, when there was nothing else to do, just roaming. It was a good life, if a little dull, and though he did get bored now and again, Link enjoyed it. Lately, however, Link had been hearing some disturbing news from Saria, news about monsters suddenly appearing out of nowhere and attacking villages. There had not been any major problems that she told him of, though, and besides, Saria did like to play tricks. It was probably nothing…and anyway, Link ought to be using his mental energies to focus on his banquet in three days! He began to wonder what it would be like. Perhaps he'd be received by the king personally! But then….What was he supposed to look like? Should he bring his weapons, or was that disrespectful? Link puzzled over this new conundrum, hoping to have figured it out by the banquet. 


	3. Surprises

Three days came and went like an owl on the breeze, and before Zelda knew it, the night of the banquet had arrived. She was excited enough; banquets were always fun, though she knew most everyone attending this one. And Link, she remembered. Link would be there too. She hadn't seen him since….well, now that she thought about it, not since Ganon had been defeated. He'd had to miss the christening of the new castle for reasons that she couldn't quite remember….oh yes, goblin wars over the border. Actually, they were more like goblin skirmishes, the princess thought, rather irritated. Then she smiled. Perhaps it would be a nice reunion.  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Zelda said, and the door opened, admitting Harlan, prince of Calatia, and Zelda's betrothed. The two had known each other since—well—forever. The royal families of Hyrule and Calatia were very close friends, and even their queen was like an aunt to Zelda. The Calatians were the ones who had given Hyrule's royal family shelter during the Imprisoning War (as it was now known—the just-about- seven year period of Ganon's reign), and Harlan, after Impa, was the one most helpful in Zelda's escape from the Calatian castle to return to Hyrule as Sheik. But that was another episode entirely. The princess considered herself lucky to be marrying Harlan. She wasn't in love with him (even though she knew—and chose to ignore—that he was in love with her), but the usual fate of princesses like her (getting married off to some horrible prince who would become a tyrant or someone they didn't even know) left her with the impression that there were most definitely worse people to be married to.  
  
"Hey, Zelda," he said casually.  
  
"Good evening, Harlan, and how have you been?" she asked.  
  
"All right." He sat down on a chair. "You excited for the banquet?"  
  
"I guess so," Zelda said. "Did you...want anything in particular?"  
  
"Not really, I'm just bored," the prince answered sheepishly.  
  
"I'm so flattered," Zelda laughed. "Well then, you can tell me what you think of my dress." She stood, letting her skirts settle to their full length. Her dress was sky blue bridal satin, with an off-the-shoulder bodice and full skirts. Her golden hair was swept up into an elegant knot, with a few curls escaping here and there, and around her neck was a golden chain with a Triforce pendant on the end. She looked simply stunning, and Harlan told her so.  
  
"Thank you," Zelda said. At that moment, a bell rang, summoning them to dinner. "Shall we go?" Harlan asked, offering an elbow. The princess took it, and they walked down to the banquet hall.  
  
The entrance was at the top of the Grand Staircase in the Great Hall. The golden, red-carpeted Staircase dominated the compass-north end of the Great Hall, and at its top were twin golden doors which Zelda and Harlan were now standing behind. The doors were thrown open on formal occasions for the royalty to descend elegantly into the banquet hall, in order of importance. It was here that the two separated. Harlan was to enter with his mother, since the king of Calatia had died when Harlan was young. Zelda had already been informed of who she would enter with. He was a bit late, but she did not have to wait long. Within a matter of minutes, Link appeared around the corner in the hall.  
  
He looked well, Zelda decided. He was dressed in his usual green tunic, though he carried none of his weapons, except the Master Sword, which seemed to fit the occasion. The hero looked totally lost among royalty in the big castle. Zelda took a bit of pity and smiled.  
  
"Your highness," Link said formally, but Zelda could detect a hint of sarcasm.  
  
"Your grace," she said as she curtsied.  
  
"Oh, is that what I'm called? Because no one told me."  
  
"I don't actually know, that's what you call a duke, but it'll do for tonight," the princess said.  
  
"I'd like to be a duke," Link said thoughtfully.  
  
Zelda was about to reply, but before she could, the golden doors were thrown open and a loud voice boomed, "Princess Zelda the Second and Link, the Hero of Time!"  
  
"That's us," Zelda said. She slipped a graceful hand under his arm and they began to descend the staircase.  
  
It was nothing new to Zelda, but Link was simply astounded at the banquet hall. He found himself wishing he had more eyes in order to see everything. The room was huge. Link supposed that everyone in Hyrule would have fit in that room, if you really tried.  
  
They reached the bottom of the staircase. Zelda seemed to know where she was going, so Link followed her, and very fortunately his seat was just across the table from her. He was at the king's left hand side, and she on the king's right beside Prince Harlan. On Link's other side was Queen Larina of Calatia. Queen Jaspela of Hyrule was at the other head of the table, far down across from the king.  
  
The food was delicious. It was very entertaining to watch Link eat, since he knew little or nothing of table manners. Harlan commented on this once in an undertone, and Zelda smiled in spite of herself.  
  
The dessert was better than the food. It consisted of a chocolate fudge brownie slice in hot fudge sauce with random dollops of whipped cream and vanilla ice cream on top of it all. After that was finished, King Harkinian stood to make an announcement.  
  
"We are gathered here today," he began, "to witness the dawn of a new era. We have said farewell to the age of Ganondorf, and the Imprisoning War, and now, we can greet a new beginning.  
  
"As you may or may not know, I have upon me a curse, of sorts." A few people gasped. "Yes, I will pass away soon. But do not grieve for me; you must all give your wholehearted support to my new heir. Link, please stand." The hero rose, looking confused. Harkinian turned to him. "If you would choose to accept it, Link, and only if you would choose to accept it, I would that you became the heir to the throne of Hyrule. What do you say?"  
  
Link was flabbergasted. Heir? Him? His mind was racing. He looked uncertainly around the room, looking for something, some sign of a friendly face to tell him what to do. There were eighty or so party guests that he didn't know (he wondered briefly where they found all these people), and none of them were any help. Down at his end of the table, Prince Harlan was watching him expectantly, along with Queen Larina. Zelda's face was nothing but a blank mask, devoid of emotion. Link could tell her mind was elsewhere. His own eyes then turned to the king, whom Link presently realized was still awaiting an answer. "I….uh….well, I….uh," he mumbled. "Well, um, what I, uh, guess I mean is—"  
  
Just then, one of the palace pages burst through the door. His face was pale and he looked as though he had been in quite a hurry. "My liege!" he yelped. "There are—"  
  
"What is it? We're in the midst of a very important decision!" Harkinian scolded. Then he looked at the boy again and a kind of compassion came into the king's eyes. "What's the matter, my boy? You look positively stricken."  
  
"There are—" the page looked quickly over his shoulder— "There are MOBLINS attacking the castle!" He burst out. Now it was the king who looked stricken. The whole room was suddenly alive with chatter. "Calm down!" The king yelled, though he looked as frightened as any of them, and no one was listening anyway. All of a sudden, guests were running everywhere! There was the sound of silverware clinking and hurried goodbyes as everyone tried to leave. Harkinian had given up on the guests' state of panic and was busy dispatching troops to try to fight the moblins off. In the midst of it all was Zelda, who was as shocked as any of them. Suddenly, Harlan grabbed her wrist. "Come on!" He shouted, and they fled down a hallway. She went to her room first to change into her usual around- the-castle dress, and then they headed towards the dungeon, where it would be safe. "Wait!" She cried, bringing them both to a dead stop before they even got there.  
  
"What is it?" Harlan asked breathlessly.  
  
"It's Link! He's still in the banquet hall! And he doesn't know his way around the palace—"  
  
"But Zelda! You could be killed!"  
  
"It doesn't matter—look, he saved my life—it's the least I can do!" She said. "We'll meet you in the dungeon!" With that she turned and sped back down the hallway.  
  
"Be careful!" Harlan called helplessly after her.  
  
When Zelda reached the Great Hall, however, Link was not there! She dove down another hallway, and after a bit of searching, ran (literally) into him. He helped her up. "Princess! What are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"Looking for you!" she said. "We're not safe here!"  
  
Link paused. "I'll be fine," he said. "I've got to go after those moblins!" Link set off down the hall.  
  
"Wait!" Zelda yelled. Link didn't seem to hear, so she pursued him. "Link! You can't just— Do you even—? This is NOT a way out! LINK!" She caught up to him and grabbed his wrist. "WHY aren't you listening to me?!"  
  
He turned angrily to her, about to say something, but all of the sudden, they heard very loud footsteps in the hall behind them. Both heads snapped back to look. Around the bend they could see the point of a long spear. "It's a moblin!" Link said, and they ran off down the hallway. Zelda gave up and let Link lead. After a bit, though, instead of open hallway in front of them were a wall and a tall window. A dead end. Suddenly there seemed to be nothing left between the two of them and certain death.  
  
Link turned and looked back down the hallway, trying to think of a way to get out of this doomed situation. Zelda, meanwhile, was examining the window. It wasn't that long a drop, really….and there were bags of peddler's flour at the bottom that would break their fall. This particular wing of the castle, she knew, looked out over a back alley. Perfect. She found the latch and threw open the window.  
  
Suddenly Link gasped. The point of the spear was visible again, and growing! He had drawn his sword when Zelda breathlessly asked, "Link, how much do you trust me?"  
  
"What does that have to do with anything? I trust you enough, I guess—"  
  
"THEN JUMP!" She yelled, taking his hand and leaping out the window. It was a strange and somehow nostalgic experience, jumping out the window, hand in hand, the princess's skirts blowing back majestically and the hero, having to hold his sword upwards to keep from slashing himself. Zelda had estimated the fall just correctly, and they landed in a cloud of white.  
  
The princess picked herself up from the pile of bags and sat down on an overturned crate to rest. "What just happened?" she asked to no one in particular.  
  
"Evil monsters were attacking the castle, and YOU kept me from fighting them," Link answered bitterly, standing up and re-sheathing his sword.  
  
"Oh, this is MY fault?" She said. "Link, you're not on your own anymore! We have GUARDS to handle enemies! What did you think they were for, decoration?!"  
  
Link realized she was right. "Well—well, I could have helped!" He said, and sat down on another crate.  
  
"So," Zelda said. "What are we going to do now?"  
  
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going back to the forest to find my weapons, and then I'm getting to the bottom of this."  
  
"Wait a minute—you're going to go after a whole army of moblins, and probably more, by yourself?"  
  
"Yeah, it kinda looks that way," Link said, getting up.  
  
"No," Zelda said flatly.  
  
"What?" Link chuckled.  
  
"I said, no. Look. If it was me, I'd be happy to let you go—"  
  
"Then why don't you?"  
  
"Because you're the heir to the throne! I can't let you put yourself in danger. Maybe if you could get a royal escort, but until then, well, I'm sorry."  
  
"Okay. You've got five minutes to decide," Link said.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You're royal, aren't you? I'm leaving in five minutes whether you decide to come with me or not. If you're so bent on doing this properly, then you can be my 'royal escort.' But I'll understand if you don't want to."  
  
"I'm not afraid," she said, guessing his thoughts.  
  
"Then you're coming?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose I am," Zelda sighed, against her better judgment.  
  
"Good. You'll be needing a horse," Link said. He took out his ocarina and played Epona's Song, summoning his palomino mare to his side. Show-off, Zelda thought. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled the old-fashioned way, and soon, her own white mare appeared.  
  
"Fine horse," Link commented as he mounted. "What's her name?"  
  
"Abora," the princess answered. "It's Gerudo, for 'wind.'"  
  
Link nodded once before turning Epona toward the drawbridge that would lead them to the field. 


	4. Things Turn Sour, Or Possibly Better

After traveling for about twenty minutes, even Zelda's untried sense of direction figured out that they were not heading in the direction of Kokiri Forest. In fact they seemed to be going to Lon Lon Ranch. Zelda questioned Link about this.  
  
"I just wanted to visit Malon. I might not be coming back for a while, and I don't want her to worry," came the simple response.  
  
"Malon?"  
  
"Yeah." He smiled. "She's my fiancée."  
  
"Oh? When's the wedding?"  
  
"Come spring," he said, looking off mistily.  
  
"Congratulations," Zelda said, trying to shake him out of his daze.  
  
"Thanks. We'll get right to the forest after this, I promise."  
  
"I don't mind," she assured him. So Link was marrying Malon…how nice. Zelda didn't really know the girl very well, but she remembered her as the one who used to bring the milk from the ranch to the palace. It was good milk, Zelda reflected. She wondered what the ranch would be like.  
  
They rested for a little bit outside the ranch's walls. (After all, they had both been awake since early that morning.) At sunrise, when Zelda awoke, Link was already awake. He appeared to be in the process of sneaking into the ranch. The princess smiled a bit to herself.  
  
Smiled as if ranchers (or at least the ones she'd dealt with) didn't know everything that went on on their farm.  
  
The reality was as bad as the princess's thoughts. Link was barely within the gate when Zelda spied the ranch girl, who had been feeding the chickens, drop what she was doing and run towards her husband-to-be, obviously quite excited. Link and Malon embraced warmly. Zelda suddenly felt a little bit like the third wheel.  
  
"I am so glad to see you've come back safely," Malon was saying as she let go of Link. Zelda was finally able to get a good look at the woman. She was pretty, there was no denying that; strikingly so. Zelda, who supposedly had fabled beauty, the dream of a handsome prince, as they said, found herself quite jealous of Malon's shimmering blue eyes, and felt that she would have even traded her own sheaf of golden hair for Malon's flowing strawberry-blonde tresses. Besides her face, Malon was dressed simply, but was clearly comfortable. She was slender, and not very tall, maybe 5'3", on Zelda's estimation. The princess, who was now beginning to feel rather ignored, sat down improperly on a crate and watched them speak. She couldn't make out most of what they were saying, but then again, she really wasn't trying. After a while, Malon seemed to be inviting Link in for some breakfast, and in her turn to the door she finally saw the princess.  
  
Malon's first impression of Zelda (not that she got a very good one as she sunk into a hurried curtsey) was that she most definitely looked regal. She sat up very straight, even as she was obviously a little bored, and her hair set perfectly around her shoulders. The princess's clothes, even though these were (obviously) traveling clothes, were of the finest make. But there was nothing about her that struck Malon as conceited; on the contrary, there was kindness behind Zelda's eyes, and the princess looked at the ranch girl as a human being instead of as a subject. "Your Highness!" Malon breathed. "Excuse me, but I didn't see you!"  
  
"Rise," Zelda said calmly, shaking her head. "It's all right. Don't think of it."  
  
"About breakfast….?" Link asked rather sheepishly.  
  
"Of course," Malon said. "Will you be joining us, highness?"  
  
"Please, it's Zelda, and I'd be glad to," the princess accepted.  
  
Malon nodded. "I'll go wake Father."  
  
The rancher disappeared into the door of the house. "So," Link asked, assuming the crate that Zelda had just risen from, "what do you think of Malon?"  
  
"She's nice," Zelda said honestly. "She's quite pretty."  
  
"Yeah, isn't she?" He said, resting his hands behind his head. "And she's a wonderful cook. Her food tastes like, well, like you're home. Not like the food at the palace." The last sentence sort of slipped out before Link realized what he was saying.  
  
"What's wrong with the food at the palace?" Zelda asked slowly.  
  
"There's nothing wrong with it. It just seems kind of…prepared."  
  
"Those are my mother's recipes."  
  
"Well, your mother's recipes taste prepared. It's not like it's your fault. And it's not like they taste bad! It's just that personally, I prefer the food here." He waited for her to say something. She didn't. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything!"  
  
"Was I mad?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"No," she corrected.  
  
"Of course you were mad. If you're the Zelda I know."  
  
"And who exactly is the Zelda you know?"  
  
"The type that sticks to tradition, and would get very mad if someone insulted her mother's roast turkey recipe. Which I didn't," he added.  
  
"I didn't say you did!" She said exasperatedly.  
  
"No, but you implied it!"  
  
"How did I imply it?"  
  
"By not saying anything!"  
  
"What did you want me to say after you got through insulting my mother's turkey?!"  
  
"So you DID take it as an insult!" Link said triumphantly.  
  
"No, I—"  
  
"Um, guys?" Came a calm voice from the door. Link and Zelda left off their bickering to see Malon had returned. "Father's already up, and breakfast is almost ready, if you want to come inside," she said.  
  
"Of course," Link replied. He stepped to the door, offering Malon an arm. She smiled warmly and took it, leaving Zelda, the third wheel again, to traipse along behind.  
  
  
  
Link, though Zelda would never admit it directly, had been right. Malon's cooking was very good, but Zelda thought it paled in comparison to the palace's dishes, though it may have been more pride speaking than anything else. Breakfast was eggs (farm-fresh, the princess thought smugly) and buttermilk pancakes. Zelda left off at two pancakes, but Link made his way through six or seven before he was done. Malon and Talon, her father, had invited them to stay and rest at the ranch for a day, and leave early the following morning. Link happily complied, and it wasn't like Zelda could go on alone. After breakfast was done, she decided to go out and explore the ranch.  
  
She went to the stables first. Zelda had always loved horses, and the grooms had told her time and again that she had a way with animals, and grooms never lied. The long, low log building had about ten stalls lining the walls. Most of the horses were out in the pasture this time of morning, but there were a few in here. Zelda let them lip hay off her hands, not really caring what Malon would say. They were very docile creatures.  
  
On the left end, all the way down in the last stall, was the most beautiful horse Zelda had ever seen. He was a black paint stallion with a two-toned tail and the most remarkable eyes (blue) that the princess had ever seen on a horse. She approached him, slowly, calmly, ever speaking softly, and after a few minutes, he settled down enough to let her stroke his nose.  
  
"Remarkable," came Malon's soft voice from behind Zelda. The princess jumped slightly, and the stallion felt it, and jerked his head back. "Oh, I'm sorry!" The ranch girl apologized. Zelda turned to face her. "I was just coming in to get a bale of hay for the corral outside. I didn't mean to startle you. But…how did you do that?" Malon asked.  
  
"Do what?" Zelda wondered.  
  
"Odin—that stallion?—he's the most skittish horse I've ever met. Even worse than Epona when she was Ingo's. He tolerates me, but…." Malon smiled. "He seems to really have taken a shine to you."  
  
"Oh…thanks," Zelda said. "He's beautiful. Who was the sire?"  
  
"Same as Epona's. Except a different dam, and another year. She's seven? He's only two. I'm not quite finished training him….you wanna come along today?"  
  
"I've never—" the princess began.  
  
"You don't have to do anything. You can help if you want to, but if you feel uncomfortable, then you can just watch," Malon offered.  
  
"Sure, why not," Zelda accepted. Then she smiled. "Sounds fun!"  
  
Malon smiled too. "I'll let you halter him. I'll see you outside!" Malon turned to leave. On her way out the door, she added as an afterthought, "Link's already waiting."  
  
Zelda groaned after Malon was gone. That comment alone brought her whole morning to a definite downturn. Well, then again, maybe it wouldn't be so awful. She distracted Odin with carrots long enough to put a halter over his broad head. Maybe it would even be fun. Zelda kept telling herself things like that as she opened Odin's stall door and led him out into the morning sun, the same morning sun that Zelda usually found such comfort in when it was streaming through her window at the dawn.  
  
The stable's horse-door opened out on the corral. Link was sitting high on the fence, and he appeared to be teasing Malon, who stood near the corral entrance. They were both laughing. Zelda sighed inwardly. Third wheel, again. She held herself a little straighter, more confidently, and proceeded to where they were.  
  
"Oh, here you are!" Malon said when she saw Zelda. "I see you've gotten him to take the halter. That's good. Here, I'll saddle him." Malon picked up a pad and training saddle that had been sitting on the ground, and shook them out before setting them gently onto Odin's back. She cinched it up, and turned away as if she was finished, but then turned right back around again and cinched it a little tighter. "Horse trick," she explained. "They'll hold their breath to make their stomachs bigger, and then the saddle's too loose, so you'll fall off."  
  
Zelda nodded.  
  
"So, he's already been trained with bags on his back…do you want to be the first real human to ride Odin, Your—um, I mean—Zelda?" Malon asked.  
  
"All right, I'll give it a shot."  
  
"Great. First you put your foot into this stirrup, like this—"  
  
"I know," Zelda said, standing beside Odin and swinging up gracefully, twisting the horse's ear with her free hand enough to be painless but still to distract him from noticing her. She let go of his ear when she felt like she was secure in the saddle. Odin quickly realized that there was someone on his back that wasn't there before, but didn't react with anything but a warning snort.  
  
Zelda admired the horse's spirit, and patted his neck a bit. Odin wasn't expecting that. He still stood steady. Only then did she turn to look at her companions. Link was awestruck, and Malon was smiling knowingly. Once again, Zelda sighed inwardly. Did these people really doubt her experience with horses that much?  
  
"You want to try to take him through his paces?" Malon asked.  
  
"I'd be happy to take him through his paces," the princess responded, purposely ignoring the "try." Odin walked with little urging. Soon after, Zelda quickened his pace to a smooth trot, to a canter, and finally a full gallop. Odin's gallop was fantastic. He ran smoothly, all of his hooves in perfect rhythm, and he was fast. Zelda had him do an entire lap around the corral before she allowed him to slow, and then finally stop. Malon and Link were staring at her again.  
  
"That was a 45-second lap," Malon explained.  
  
"It's impressive," Link agreed. He got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "How about a race?" he said, climbing down from his perch on the fence to stand before Zelda.  
  
"Link, that might not be the best idea—" Malon said, but her husband- to-be didn't notice.  
  
"Me on Epona, and you on—Odin, is it?—and the first one back here wins," the hero explained, without looking back at Malon. "You up to it?"  
  
It was more the daring look in Link's eye, like I-bet-you-won't, that made Zelda do it. "Absolutely," she agreed. "Once around the corral."  
  
"All right," Link confirmed, and despite Malon's attempts to interrupt, they were soon on the starting line, Link on Epona and Zelda on Odin. Abora was in the corral chewing grass happily. Malon, against her better judgment, stood just beside the two racers. "On your mark," she said nervously. "Get set." Link gritted his teeth. "Go," she finally said, dispiritedly.  
  
They were both off right away. Link had the inside, so she started out with a bit of a lead. About a third of the way through, however, Odin had found a way around, and Zelda grinned. They were approaching a straightaway. She let her long blonde hair down to whip around in the wind that Odin created. By the time they hit the far corner, Link on Epona had only caught up a few feet. Zelda and Odin crossed the finish line an entire length ahead.  
  
"Congratulations," Link admitted once they were dismounted. "You rode a great race."  
  
"Thanks," Zelda said honestly.  
  
"Your time was 42.6!" Malon exclaimed, running over. She faced Odin. "You've already shattered our records twice, boy," she told him. He snorted again. Zelda laughed and stroked his neck.  
  
Link left to take Epona into the stable for some water. Zelda was about to follow when Malon stopped her.  
  
"Look, princess, I didn't want to embarrass you before, but that was an amazing race," the girl said.  
  
"Thanks," Zelda said again.  
  
"No, seriously." Malon paused. "Would you want to…I don't know…take him with you?" Malon looked at Zelda earnestly.  
  
"Take him? But…what about Abora?" The princess asked, very surprised.  
  
"She'll be fine here," Malon assured her. "Look, you don't have to if you don't want to, but I really think you'd be great for him. I'm no good with him, you've seen it."  
  
Zelda thought for a minute. "All right," she decided finally. "He's definitely got more energy than Abora, which could be good for our journey."  
  
"That's great," Malon grinned. "Go ahead," she remembered, gesturing towards the stable.  
  
"Thanks," the princess said. Malon went off towards the house. Zelda took Odin by the halter and went back towards the stable. Link had already left by the time she got there. She took the saddle and pad off of Odin's back, brushed him off, and put him into the same stall she'd met him in that morning. She latched the door shut, and leaned up on the crossbar. "Looks like you're mine now, boy," Zelda told the big horse. He nickered in response. "Rest up, we're riding in the morning." She smiled at the big stallion again before leaving the stable.  
  
  
  
The following morning, sunrise found Zelda and Link outside the gates of Lon Lon Ranch after another hearty breakfast collecting their things. Zelda was busy brushing and saddling her new mount, and Link was talking to Malon.  
  
"Where did he come from?" Link asked, gesturing at Odin.  
  
"Me," Malon smiled. "Look, I couldn't train him. Consider it a gift."  
  
"I understand," Link assured her.  
  
"Link! Odin's ready when you are!" Zelda called from where she and the horses were waiting.  
  
"Goodbye," he bade Malon. Link leaned in and kissed her gently, then said goodbye again before turning around back towards where his departure party was waiting.  
  
"So, are we finally going to Kokiri Forest now?" Zelda asked when they were back on the dusty dirt path that headed to the forest.  
  
"Yeah, we'll get there," he said. Then he grinned evilly. "The moblins are waiting!"  
  
"I still can't believe you plan to take on an entire army of moblins by yourself."  
  
"Are you doubting me?"  
  
"No, I just think it's a little big of a job for one person."  
  
"Well, I'm not just any person, now am I? And it's not just one person, I've got you too. Right?" He looked at her expectantly.  
  
Zelda smiled in spite of herself. "Yeah, you do."  
  
"Then let's go!" He yelled, and urged Epona into a gallop, and Zelda had no choice but to follow. 


	5. Forest Adventures

"This is it," Link said excitedly. He pushed aside a few more leaves, and just like a scene from a book, the city of the Kokiri opened up before them. Well, it wasn't really a city, Link thought; he only liked to think of it that way. The settlement that lay before him had only five or six houses, and one store. But, he thought stubbornly, it was home. Except it wasn't where his house was. He gave up on this mental debate and stepped onto the dirt path, beckoning for Zelda to squeeze in behind him.  
  
All at once, ten or twenty children (whoalltalkedreallyreallyexcitedlikethis) spotted them and ran over to them. "LINK!!" They all chorused in unison before beginning with a flurry of other questions ("How are ya?" "Where have you been?" "Who's she?" "She's pretty!" "I thought you were engaged to Malon!" "How tall is Death Mountain?"). Link heard Zelda giggle a little bit behind him. He smiled himself. "Hey everybody," he said.  
  
The citizens of Kokiri Village fell silent for a fragment of a second, then started up again louder than ever. "Yeah, yeah, it's good to see you too," he tried to calm everyone down, but it was to no avail. He turned, and Zelda was now laughing out loud. "They're so charming!" She explained.  
  
"Okay, okay, everybody CALM DOWN!!" The hero cried. The chatter ceased after a second or two and Link could talk freely. "I am here only for a few days, at the most! I came to get my weapons!"  
  
"Oooh, your weapons, what do ya need those for?"  
  
"There were Moblins attacking the castle a few nights ago"—The Kokiri, who particularly had it in for Moblins, gasped—"and I am going to find out why."  
  
"All by yourself? Isn't that a little risky?"  
  
Zelda looked at him as if to say, "Isn't that what I said?" Link scowled at her and said to the Kokiri, "I am sure that I—we!—will be fine!"  
  
The children were silent for a moment. "Well, whatever you say Link." "Yeah, we're sure you made the best decision." Then the crowd dispersed. Link thought he could hear someone saying "I get his sword!" As they left, but decided to ignore it.  
  
"Come on, this way," he said to Zelda, doing his best not to show defeat. They didn't speak until they reached Link's house. He stabled Epona and filled her trough, and Zelda hobbled Odin nearby in the clearing, and then went into the house. He patted the palomino's broad forehead before continuing inside of his cabin.  
  
Zelda was sitting on a chair. "Maybe," she slowly began when he entered, "maybe they're right."  
  
Link looked her square in the eyes, but she looked away. "Who?" he asked.  
  
"The Kokiri….maybe they were right….maybe you should get someone to help you."  
  
"Not you, too. Haven't we been through this already?"  
  
The princess stood and met his gaze. "Well, yes, but, you didn't listen to me then, so I thought maybe you would when your friends started agreeing with me!"  
  
Link was taken aback. "No, I'm still not going to listen to you! Not even if every man in Hyrule volunteered to form me an army!"  
  
"Why not? Are you just too proud?!"  
  
"I just don't trust people, all right? I'm going to go visit some people. I'll be back by dinner." And with that Link stormed out the front door. Zelda, angry and hurt, fell backwards onto his bed.  
  
  
  
Link didn't go visit anyone. Angry and hurt himself, he instead picked his way through the Lost Woods to the Sacred Forest Meadow. Ever since Ganondorf had been locked away, the only monsters that remained to guard it were five or six Mad Scrubs, which might deter the Kokiri, but most certainly not the Hero of Time. He shielded his way through them easily, and trudged up the grand staircases that led to the temple's terrace. His anger had worn off by now, leaving him only depressed. Link took out his Longshot and fired at the tree over the temple entrance, and seated himself at the top of the broken staircase. He took out his ocarina. Presently Link realized that this was the ocarina that Zelda had entrusted him with when they were only children. He smiled a little bit. He had been so excited then….he had only been a kid. The young hero had dreamed only of grand adventures and fabulous stories that he would someday be able to tell to the Kokiri who had shunned him. If only he'd known the horrors that his path would lead him across. Link put the ocarina to his lips, and played the Requiem of Spirit, for no other reason than that he felt that his mood and memories mirrored the remorseful tune.  
  
After he had been sitting there a while, Link noticed that Saria had wandered into the terrace area as he was wrapped up in his music. She was watching him intently. "What are you doing up there?" she called.  
  
"Nothing," he replied. "Just…reminiscing, I guess."  
  
"How long have you been up there?"  
  
"I don't know, maybe half an hour? Why do you ask?"  
  
"I'm just worried that Zelda might be looking for you…."  
  
Link suddenly got defensive. "I don't want to talk to her!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"She—she thinks…she thinks that I can't do this. And that I'm a fool! She wants me to get people to help me root out this Moblin problem! I can handle it!"  
  
"Maybe she's just worried about you."  
  
Link paused.  
  
Saria sighed. "Well, I know better than to argue with you. So, how have you been? Haven't seen you in a while."  
  
The hero, relieved that he did not have to come up with a response to her previous comment, said, "Hey, I'm all right. The banquet was kinda, um, exciting though."  
  
"I still don't see why you love that fighting stuff so much."  
  
"Hey, it's just what I do, you know?" He sighed. "…I really don't like the wars. Truly, I don't. I hate the killing, and I hate the sadness….nobody should ever have to see that. Nobody."  
  
"It must be hard."  
  
"It is! And the worst thing of all is that I had to do it all alone! I mean, Moblins are one thing. But taking on Ganondorf's entire monster army was another thing entirely." He sighed. "I'm…I am glad…that Zelda came along. It's companionship, even if we do fight a lot…there were times when I really thought I'd go crazy, all alone in the middle of The Imprisoning War, with no one to talk to but Epona and Navi. My fairy was no help. And Epona, well, she can't talk back, you know? But Zelda…she's human." He paused. "It's kinda nice."  
  
"You know, somehow I get the feeling that I'm not the person you should be saying all this to," Saria said.  
  
"What? Who?"  
  
"Zelda?"  
  
"Nah, she'd think I was insane."  
  
"Well, just don't ramble to me. You should at least go try to make up with her."  
  
"Well…okay, I'll try. But she's not going to listen."  
  
"She might." Saria smiled.  
  
Link jumped off of the destroyed staircase and returned down the same path he had used to get there. When he got back to his house, he found Zelda brushing off the hobbled Odin. She did not appear to take notice of him.  
  
"Zelda?" He began. Startled, the princess dropped her brush. She bent to pick it up. "Link?" She said when she straightened again. She watched him curiously. Link looked at his feet. "Um," he said. She brushed Odin a little more, absent-mindedly. After a moment or two:  
  
"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time.  
  
Link and Zelda chuckled a little. "It's okay," she said first. "I've been thinking, and maybe…you were right. I mean you did take on Ganondorf's whole kingdom single-handedly. And win."  
  
"I shouldn't have gotten so angry at you," he admitted. "But I'm glad you think I'm right. Because," he said, drawing himself up, "I was!"  
  
Zelda laughed openly. "Just don't get too used to it, it's not a particularly frequent occurrence!"  
  
"Hey!" He said. "Well, okay, maybe ONCE I was wrong…."  
  
Zelda laughed again and threw the brush at him. He picked it up, and went to put it back into the stable after shaking his head at her mock- disappointedly. The princess grinned and went back to her work.  
  
  
  
"So what exactly are these weapons that we traveled miles out of our way to get?" Zelda asked. It was the same day, that evening. They had already eaten, and now they were making ready for departure tomorrow. They'd decided yesterday that Kakariko Village would be their destination; it was a Sheikah village, once, and Sheikah wisdom had a way of lingering in a place. Plus, the Shadow Temple never had come completely safe, so there would probably be something to do there no matter what.  
  
"These ones," Link said. He walked over to a trunk at the end of his bed and unlocked it. From it, he withdrew a second, bigger, sharper sword (the Master Sword being the first), a well-formed longbow and quiver, and a heavy iron hammer, and somehow he managed to fit it all under his shield.  
  
"All right! If that's it, we'll need our rest—"  
  
"That's not it," he said mischievously. He walked over to the window, and bent down to the floor. Link carefully lifted a loose floorboard. Zelda watched with interest, as the removal of the wood revealed—nothing?  
  
The hero's face fell. "What? Where are they?"  
  
"Where are what?"  
  
"My crystals! Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, Nayru's Love—those were gifts from the Great Fairy herself! Who would have taken them?" His anger was slowly building.  
  
"Let's go find out," Zelda said simply.  
  
"Yes, let's," he muttered, staring out the window. Then he turned and charged out of the hut, Zelda close behind. "Should we take the horses?" She asked.  
  
"No," he said. "Anything but a filly wouldn't be sure-footed enough for this terrain, and if what I think stole them, did steal them, then the horses would make too much noise."  
  
"What do you think stole them?" She said as she followed him onto a trail.  
  
"The skull kid," he answered simply, more to himself then to her.  
  
"I would guess you've had run-ins with him before," she commented.  
  
"You bet I have," he growled, picking his way around a mud patch. "People think skull kids are monsters, and they're usually not. So I guess all people must have based their opinions on this one."  
  
"He's that bad?"  
  
"Worse." He paused. "It's my fault, I suppose. He was good once. But I sold him a mask, seven years ago, and it made him, frankly, popular with his people. I guess his arrogance slowly built, and now, he has become the nightmare people think he is. He has an obsession with masks, and he goes to Termina annually to find new ones. I hear he's looking for one, Majora's Mask, and I also hear that the thing was the bane of an ancient civilization. It's not unlike him to rob a traveler blind and sell their possessions for money, so he can keep doing what he does. Bet that's where my crystals would go." He sighed. "I wish I would have known seven years ago. I'm not the only one that he torments."  
  
"You can't blame yourself for his corruption," Zelda said.  
  
"I guess," he replied. "Come on, he likes to hang out over here."  
  
Zelda shielded her eyes from the sun as the forest widened out into a clearing. There wasn't much in it, except for a tree stump, and across from it, a trunk that had been sheared off two or three feet up. As they neared the trunk, Link walking confidently, Zelda nervously, from out of the air appeared a Skull Kid playing an ocarina, carved out of stone. He was doing a strange dance, hopping from foot to foot. He wore strange orange clothes and on his face was a mask that the princess thought was supposed to be human, but so hideous that she couldn't quite believe it. It had huge nose, a moustache that looked rather like a barfing caterpillar, and a vibrant red hat with the letter "M" on it. She couldn't stand to look at it for very long and soon turned away. Comes from being "refined," I guess, she thought bitterly.  
  
The Skull Kid went on with his dance for a few more moments, then stopped, bent a little, and stared Link straight in the eye. "Like my mask?" It asked. "I got it from the mask man. Only 250 rupees!"  
  
"And what people's money did you waste on it this time?" Link asked tiredly.  
  
"Mine," the Skull Kid grinned wickedly.  
  
"It's not yours unless you earn it."  
  
"I do earn it!" It insisted. "Stealing is hard work!"  
  
"Look, I'm not here for a conversation," Link said. "Where are my spells?"  
  
The Skull Kid's eyes got wide. "Ooooh, your crystals. Those were so pretty!"  
  
"What do you mean 'were?'" Link asked, losing patience.  
  
"Well, I was going to sell them…." It paused for dramatic effect. "But….I DIDN'T!" The Skull Kid seemed so excited.  
  
"What did you do with my spells?" Link asked way too calmly.  
  
The Skull Kid drew a breath to speak, but waited for a second before saying, eyes wide, very excited, "I HID THEM!!" He stared doing his hopping dance again, feverishly.  
  
"Where?" Link asked, very annoyed.  
  
"Around here……somewhere," it said mysteriously.  
  
"Thanks for your help," Link said sarcastically.  
  
"Anytime!" The Skull Kid replied.  
  
Link and Zelda turned away as the Skull Kid picked up his ocarina and began to dance and play again. "He'd be good if he wasn't so evil," Link commented dryly.  
  
"Where do you think he hid them?" Zelda asked.  
  
"He said around here, and even though he's a thief, he'd never lie outright. Plus, he loves riddles," Link summed up. "So I think it might be over here."  
  
He was heading towards a huge hollowed-out log that seemed to form some kind of road. Out the other side was another clearing. They were standing on top of a ledge. On one side, a ladder led down to the "room" floor, which was scattered with trees and a Gossip Stone on one end. "It'll probably be down here," he continued, climbing down the ladder. Zelda followed suit.  
  
Link wandered around the floor for a bit, looking at the individual trees and the Gossip Stone. Finally he walked back to Zelda, who had been waiting at the base of the ladder. "I know where it is," he said simply.  
  
"Where?" She asked.  
  
"Over here," he answered. He crossed back over to the Gossip Stone, and turned left to wind up on a short ledge beside it, motioning for Zelda to follow. There was nothing on the ledge except for a hole, but she came anyway.  
  
"They're down there," he told her. "But he's surely got some kind of anti-me enchantment on the room…he does own a few magic masks, you know. So, you had better go down."  
  
"Me!?" She asked, surprised  
  
"Yes," he said. "Don't worry, there's nothing down there. Except grass."  
  
"But—"  
  
"You want to save Hyrule, don't you?"  
  
"Yes, but—"  
  
"Well then?" He said, gesturing towards the hole.  
  
"Fine," she sighed. "Just fine." She walked lightly over to the hole and dropped in. "The things I do," she grumbled to herself on the way down.  
  
Link was right; there was nothing down in the hole, except for a chest. Cautiously, warily, Zelda strode toward it, and when she arrived in front of it, slowly lifted the lid. Inside were three crystals, about the size of her palm, each with an orb of fire within, one green, one blue, and one red. They were beautiful.  
  
The princess slowly reached her hand in and picked one up, and then another, and then all three were in her hand. She closed her fist, and then opened them again. The pieces were captivating. The princess withdrew from the chest, and turned around.  
  
Right into the face of a Stalfos.  
  
It was an eight foot tall skeleton that brandished a rusty, bent sword, and a circular shield in the style of the time of the Old Dynasty, before the Harkinians came into power. Her eyes widened in fear as she gasped. It was all Zelda could do not to drop the crystals. As soon as she got her breath, she fought the urge to scream, closed her eyes, looked deeply into herself, and opened her eyes again, but now they shined with a warrior's determination. She instituted some of the ancient Sheikah techniques that Impa had taught her all those years ago, and managed to hold off the Stalfos for a little while. However, it soon became painfully evident that the fist was no match for the sword, at least not this particular blade. She was being forced back into a wall, then sliding down a wall, and the Stalfos had its sword in place to make the final thrust into her throat, when suddenly—  
  
WHAM! Another sword rammed through the Stalfos' neck. Its skull head fell listlessly off, and without the head, the rest of the body toppled into a useless pile of bones that was soon consumed by green fire. When the flames cleared away, Zelda saw Link standing there, holding the Biggoron's Sword down by his side, his Hylian shield on one arm. He looked down at Zelda with worry in his eyes.  
  
Zelda, breathing heavily, slowly rose. "I heard fighting…." Link was saying. Zelda shook her head for him to be quiet. "Are you all right?" He asked. She, not really paying attention, held out her closed fist to him, and opened it, revealing the crystals. He looked at them, wide-eyed. A smile broke out over his face. "Thank you!" He said. "They're my most prized possessions!" She nodded. He looked up at her again, and the smile faded. He hurriedly pocketed the crystals. "Are you all right?" He asked again, holding her shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, it was, it was nothing," she answered.  
  
"Zelda, that was a Stalfos," he said matter-of-factly. "It's a miracle we're both still alive. They're the most dangerous 'common' monster known to man. I was only able to kill it because it was too busy with you to notice me. You must really have some ability, to last as long as you did."  
  
"Really?"  
  
He smiled again. "Yeah." He looked at the crystals in his palm, and then closed his fist around them. "Come on, let's go home."  
  
"Okay," she agreed, and they turned back towards the beam of light. 


	6. On the Road Again

"You mount strangely. Has anyone ever told you you mount strangely?" Zelda asked Link. It was the next morning. They were just outside of the Lost Woods, in full view of the morning sun, preparing for the short trip to Kakariko. It wouldn't be too long of a day's ride; maybe ten hours, tops.  
  
"I mount wonderfully," Link replied. "How do YOU mount, your majesty?"  
  
Zelda climbed onto the back of Odin calmly.  
  
"I say you mount strangely," he concluded.  
  
"I learned at the palace. This is the traditional method."  
  
"Well, this is my method."  
  
"Where did you learn it from?"  
  
Link grinned sheepishly. "Malon."  
  
"Yes, because she is just the utmost expert on the mounting of horses."  
  
"She's not terrible…."  
  
"What else did she 'teach' you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Zelda cast about for an idea. "Umm…show me Epona's gallop."  
  
"Okay…." Link got onto the dirt road and had Epona gallop for about 200 feet. "Well?"  
  
"Look at your arm. You should be holding the mane."  
  
"Thanks for the advice, your majesty. I will now attempt to rethink everything I have learned."  
  
"You do that," Zelda said with a nod, and started down the path.  
  
"You know, I bet I could teach you a few things," Link commented, catching up with her.  
  
"I know you could," Zelda said honestly. "I can't swordfight, I can't use a bow...."  
  
"What, they didn't teach you that in finishing school?"  
  
"Not exactly, no."  
  
"Do you want to learn?"  
  
"Well, yeah. Okay, but why?"  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why teach me?"  
  
"So that you can be an asset to this expedition, instead of a burden."  
  
"Gee, thanks," she said.  
  
"Of course," he smiled. "What would you like to learn?"  
  
"Everything."  
  
"You mean you don't know ANY fighting techniques?"  
  
"Except for the Sheikah arts, no."  
  
"Well, I say Sheikah arts are a force to be reckoned with, but, all right, I'll teach you what I can. First lesson begins now." He tossed her his old Hookshot. "I've got two of these. I'll use my Longshot to fire at a target, and then you try."  
  
He halted Epona and aimed for a spot about midway up the trunk of one of the trees just outside the Lost Woods. He let lose his hook, and it caught on its target, knocking loose a chink of wood. Instead of pulling himself towards the tree, he let the Longshot come back in to his extended arm. "You try now," he told the princess.  
  
Zelda raised the Hookshot. She aimed the red laser pointer as best she could over the niche in the bark, and fired. It hit a spot about a centimeter to the left of the original mark. "Well, there may be hope for you yet," Link approved. "Try again." He took out his Longshot and aimed for a different spot on the same tree. This time, Zelda matched his mark.  
  
After she did it three more times, Link stopped her. "I think you've passed lesson one. Now we've got to hurry, or we won't make it to Kakariko before sunset." He put away the Hookshot and the Longshot, and then turned Epona back towards the trail. "Come, my student, and when we get to Kakariko I can borrow a spare bow from the Shooting Gallery and teach you how to use it."  
  
"But I don't even have a bow of my own. So does it make sense that I should learn to use one?"  
  
"Of course! What if I'm dead and you need to defend yourself? You use my bow, your majesty! And someday I'll teach you swordplay, but that"—he winked—"is advanced."  
  
"I can hardly wait," she said.  
  
It went on like that for pretty much the rest of the ride—not quite just conversation, it was more like constantly teetering on the brink of argument. In this fashion they chewed over the weather, Link's childhood (which Zelda took an interest in, since she found it much more interesting than her own), and the care of horses, whom they both apparently had strong opinions on, and only sometimes agreed. When the sun had risen to the 12:00 position, they stopped for the noon meal under the shade of a tree.  
  
The horses hobbled nearby, Link and Zelda seated themselves on the grass, and from his saddlebags the hero produced several strange items that Zelda had never seen, let alone eaten, before. He sat back down, divided the food into two portions, and started hungrily into his own.  
  
"What is this?" Zelda asked as she picked up something that looked rather like a roll and bit into it. It was very good.  
  
"Specially prepared travel-ready dishes from the desert of the Gerudo," Link said in between bites.  
  
Zelda fought the urge to spit out the delicious roll. "WHAT?" She exclaimed, pulling back. "GERUDO food, did you say? Don't eat that, it may be poisoned!"  
  
"Would you relax? —Hey!" He yelled as she snatched the fruit he had been eating away from his hands. "Calm down! Why would the Gerudo want to poison us?!"  
  
Zelda just stared at him. "Ganondorf?" She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Revenge? Hello!"  
  
"Okay, just listen for a second!" He stood up and fished around in a pocket for something. He smiled, took out a slip of paper, and handed it to Zelda. Her eyes widened when she saw it. "You're one….of them!?" She cried.  
  
"Relax! Look, none of them really liked Ganondorf in the first place. This membership was given to me by Nabooru's number one assistant! This food is completely safe."  
  
"Okay…." Zelda, still very cautious, sat back down and picked up her roll again. It certainly didn't taste like poison. And she wanted to believe him, if for no other reason than that it was really good.  
  
"And anyway," Link grinned, "if this food was poisoned, all that jumping around would have sent it directly to your brain."  
  
Zelda smiled in spite of herself. He was right, of course, but for some reason she hadn't thought of that. She giggled. Now that she thought about it she really had been acting like a maroon.  
  
"Something funny?" Link asked.  
  
Zelda tried to imagine what he would think of her giggling for no apparent reason, and burst into laughter. Link shook his head and went back to his fruit, muttering about insanity.  
  
  
  
They got into Kakariko late, just as the sun was setting. It was more or less their expected time of arrival, and their entrance had been harried by a pushy clock soldier at the town entrance who refused to believe that Zelda was the princess until she showed him the Triforce mark on her right hand. After she did this, he next demanded to see Link's mark, which he displayed with a sigh. When the clock soldier was satisfied, he made no apology; instead, he stood up straight and said with pride, "Ding dong, ding dong, the current time is 17:24. Please enjoy your stay in Kakariko Village." Link and Zelda hurried through the wooden gate before the guard could come up with any other princess-hero criteria.  
  
"So," the princess began as they reined in their horses near the tree in the center of town, "where exactly are we sleeping tonight?"  
  
"Over there," Link told her, pointing to a house just to the right of them on a low bluff. "I've got some friends there."  
  
When they stepped inside the house, though, Zelda could find nothing even slightly friendly about it except for a bald man of medium height standing in the very center of the roomless house with a broad smile on his face. In the shadows, she thought she could see some more figures moving, but decided to ignore it.  
  
"Link!" The bald man exclaimed jovially.  
  
"Torin," Link answered, shaking the man's hand. "How have you been?"  
  
"Far better, thanks to you!" The man called Torin said. "Is there anything at all I can be of assistance to you with?"  
  
"Um, room and board," Link said sheepishly.  
  
"But of course! You may stay here for as long as you like, so long as you don't mind the cobwebs." Torin turned and strode toward the back wall of the house, opened a dusty box, and drew out some blankets and pillows, which, in spite of the state of the building, were made of the finest materials. "There are two of us," Link added. Torin nodded and started digging again. With the help of his sons (who had been the shapes Zelda had seen moving in the background) he had soon set up two sleeping areas for the hero and the princess.  
  
"Just out of curiosity, Torin, where do you sleep?"  
  
"Sleep? I don't sleep! Must be a side effect of the spell, I suppose, but I haven't needed to for weeks!"  
  
"Oh," Link said.  
  
Zelda wanting to get a better look around, stepped further into the dusty building. In doing this she also managed to catch the attention of Torin, who hadn't seen her before. "Oh, and who's this? The second one of you, I presume?"  
  
"She's the pr—"  
  
"Zelda," the princess told him with a gracious smile. But despite her best efforts to stop it, Torin's eyes went wide and he swept into a low bow. "Your highness! What an honor to make your acquaintance!" He said, without bothering to lift his head.  
  
"Thank you for letting us stay here," she said, indicating for him to rise.  
  
"Of course, anything for his majesty's own daughter!"  
  
Zelda smiled pleasantly, though inside she wished he would stop calling her "highness." Link, sensing her discomfort, excused them with a "Thank you very much, Torin, but I believe we have an archery lesson to get to now," and he pulled her out.  
  
"Thanks," she told him outside. "Um, not to be rude, but what's the story behind that man? Why is his house in shambles, and yet he just keeps on giving?" She reflected briefly on her own comment. "He's very admirable."  
  
"It's a long story," Link said.  
  
"Tell it to me," Zelda answered.  
  
"Okay. Well, sit down." He let her seat herself leaning against the wall of the house, and then followed suit. "Now, I'm no storyteller, but here's what happened. And don't interrupt. A long time ago, long before Ganondorf, Torin's family was very rich. Very rich. I think they had the second most rupees in the nation, after the castle, of course. Anyway, the family lived happily together, Torin, his wife Ane, and their five sons, Reeve, Tevis, Lape, Pome, and Rent. They were, as I said, incredibly prosperous, and they always had everything they needed. And wanted. Well, one day, and I never found out how, but Ane died. After her death, Torin kind of, well, lost it. He became incredibly greedy. And greed, as you know, is a very bad thing to the goddesses. Well, they smiled down upon him, and instead of just giving him eternal punishment after he got around to dying, they put a curse on his family. Torin, Reeve, Tevis, Lape, Pome, and Rent were turned into hideous, monstrous spiders. Around Hyrule were placed one hundred gold skulltulas, so that the only way to break the curse on Torin's family would be to destroy all of the gold skulltulas. The goddesses' aim, you see, was for Torin to have to wait and beg for years before finally someone came along and broke the curse, and then he would hopefully be shamed and impressed by that person's generosity and become a more giving sort himself. Their plan worked, and after lying in wait for nearly a hundred years someone finally saved them, and now Torin is practically giving away his money."  
  
"That's a great story," Zelda said. "Who saved them?"  
  
"Me," he said quietly.  
  
"Link!" Zelda grinned. "That's amazing! I don't know what to say!"  
  
"Don't say anything," he said. "And don't give me anything. Torin insists on 'rewarding' me with a gold rupee every time I visit. I'm running out of space in my house."  
  
Zelda laughed. "And now," Link said, "I believe we had an archery lesson to get to."  
  
"This late?"  
  
"We're not going to do it outside, silly. The shooting gallery has a great training program." He helped her up and led her to the red brick shooting gallery at the top of a flight of stairs overseeing the village. When they entered, Link went straight over to the counter to talk to the big, muscular, and somewhat hairy man who ran the shop; Zelda was more interested in the targets. They weren't your average bull's-eye, that was for sure. They looked more like rupees.  
  
Link finished his dealings and walked back over to her. "Okay, he's gonna put it on 'easy,'" he said. "Follow me on this." The shopkeeper, who had disappeared into a back room, reappeared with a spare bow and quiver. Link took out his own Fairy Bow. "And now," he said, "I will teach you to string it." He took the coiled bowstring from her hand and stretched it to its full length. He showed her how it looped over the bottom end, and how you had to tie the top end, and thus get your personally desired tightness. When the bow was strung, he took the string back off and let the princess do it herself. "You're gonna have to play around a little bit to figure out what tightness you like it," he told her. She nodded. "And now, let's have an arrow." He took one from his own quiver, and set it on his bowstring, showing her the notch at the end of the shaft that fitted onto the string. She took one from her own quiver, and after a moment or two managed to fit it. "And when all that's ready," he continued, "you can shoot." He took his own bow and aimed for one of the giant rupees. Link loosed his arrow, and in another second the rupee had shattered. "Now you try," he said.  
  
Zelda fit an arrow onto her bowstring. Slowly, she aimed, and was about to fire when a very loud something burst through the door. 


	7. The First Battle

The princess whirled around in surprise, and in doing so lost her grip on the arrow. It headed straight for the door—and right into the body of a Red Tektite. Thankful that it hadn't been someone she knew personally, Zelda made for the door to examine the situation, Link right behind her. "Nice shot!" He said as they were running. "Thanks," she answered. Zelda reached the terrace and stopped short, Link only a few steps behind her.  
  
Outside was one of the most revolting things that either of them had ever seen. There were dozens upon dozens of Tektites, maybe a hundred or more, positively storming the city. The villagers were doing as best they could to fend off the hordes, and some locally stationed soldiers were helping, but they were clearly losing, not because of the danger of the monsters, but because of the overwhelming number of them.   
  
Link and Zelda looked at each other for a second, each thinking the same thing, before they charged together down the stairs and into the swarm of Tektites. Link used his mighty Biggoron Sword and Zelda employed her Sheikah training to get rid of the monsters. "Zelda!" Link called over the battle.  
  
"What?" She yelled back as she fired off a kick at a Tektite.  
  
"Is this natural for Tektites? To gather like this?"  
  
"I don't think so!" She cried, both in answer to Link's question and as a threat to an attacking Tektite.  
  
"Do you think that it could be—"  
  
"—related to our Moblin problem? Yes!" She finished his sentence for him.  
  
"What could be doing it?" He yelled as he thrust his sword into the belly of a jumping Tektite.  
  
"I think someONE is responsible!"  
  
"Yeah!" He agreed. "But who?"  
  
The Tektites had been slowly forming a circle around them, and now it had reached the point where Link and Zelda were back to back. "Well, who would do it?" She panted.  
  
"I have no idea," he replied, raising his sword to the "guard" position.  
  
"Me neither. Let's discuss this problem later," she said.  
  
"Good idea," he said, eyeing the enclosing Tektite ring.  
  
"Meet you back at the House!"   
  
"See you there!" Link confirmed, and the next second they both charged ahead into the mass of Tektites, and lost track of each other.  
  
How long this battle went on, neither Link nor Zelda nor any of the villagers or soldiers could ever tell. Hours, definitely; the only question was how many. When one Tektite died, there were always more to replace it. The little monsters were very hardy, and didn't die terribly easily. While Link, Zelda, a couple soldiers, and a few of the more capable villagers were fighting off however many Tektites they could handle at once, the other monsters were using their dangerous legs to tear apart fences, walls, and even to threaten the foundation of the watchtower. There were so many that Link could hardly see, and he quite lost himself under the pressing bodies.  
  
When the struggle finally ended eight hours later (as they were to find out from the clock soldier the next day), Zelda found herself halfway up the staircase right outside the gate to Death Mountain Trail. She picked off one last Tektite, and then, lacking the strength to return to the Spider House, collapsed where she stood; she was asleep before she even hit the ground (which was fortunate, because the ground was hard). Link was now leaning on a section of remaining fence outside the Windmill, surveying the scene that lay before him. A soldier was spearing a final Tektite with his broadsword, villagers were sliding down walls by their backs to rest on the ground. Mothers ran to find their sons. The hero was glad to see that no one had died (though in retrospect, he considered that it would be very difficult to die by the hand of a Tektite), though most were injured in some way. In assessment, the town itself had made it through in pretty good shape. The outside of the houses looked worse than the damage had actually been; after all, this was what walls were for. The mangled fence would be easy to repair, and the marred staircases could be re-carved. Impa's house, he noted, remained completely untouched. Probably something to do with her sagedom, Link figured. As the adrenaline rush wore off, the hero's eyes grew heavy with sleep, but still he got up and trudged on. He had to find the princess.  
  
Slowly he made his way down the stairs. A soldier, leaning against the tall, exposed brick foundation of the Shooting Gallery, looked particularly damaged. Link suddenly remembered the good soldier who, seven years ago, had stayed alive in order to deliver to young Link the princess's message, and then died right before the boy's eyes. Link fished around under his shield and came up with a Red Potion, and gave it to the man, who drank it hungrily before smiling at the hero weakly. He smiled back, in spite of himself, and continued on. The soldier had been the worst of the wounded.   
  
He felt that he knew where he was going. So much so that he did not think it odd that Zelda was lying exactly where he had thought she would be, on the staircase above the bazaar. She had escaped the battle in fairly good condition, just as he had. A few torn clothes and a lot of scratches, that was all that they had gained between them. As if it were instinctive, he picked up the princess and carried her sleeping form back to the Spider House. Link didn't notice, but Zelda woke up for just a few seconds, just long enough to see something glittering in the southwestern sky that definitely wasn't a star before sleep reclaimed her. Link arrived at the House and lay her down on her bed before walking over to his own. Torin, sitting on a crate in the back, winked at him. Link was thankful for the support.  
  
Though he was completely exhausted, Link didn't fall asleep right away; instead, his thoughts were filled with the events of the day. He knew that this was not natural. He came to a definite conclusion about a connection with the Moblins before letting his train of thought roam to the archery lesson. It really HAD been a good shot, Link thought, smiling into the darkness before falling asleep.  
  
  
  
Not even in his dreams did Link find peace.   
  
In his visions, a familiar shape turned up. It appeared to be…Rauru.  
  
"Quite a conundrum you have stumbled upon," he said.  
  
"Yes," Link answered simply.  
  
"So what will you do about it?"  
  
"I have no idea." The hero thought it wouldn't hurt to ask, even though he already felt he knew: "Are the Tektites linked to the Moblins, in any way?"  
  
"It's possible; it's probable. But I'll tell you one thing: it's not Ganon."  
  
"What?"   
  
"Good night," he said, and disappeared from Link's consciousness as the hero tried to sort out what he had said.   
  
  
  
Zelda woke up to sunlight on her face, streaming in through several cracks in the ceiling. She sat up and shook her head to clear it. What time was it? What time had it been when the fight ended last night? She looked over, wondering if Link had come back, and saw he was still sleeping. Zelda got up very quietly so as not to wake him and stepped outside.  
  
The town looked fairly deserted, though the traces of battle were evident. Carefully, still blinking away sleep, Zelda found her way to the gate at the entrance to the town. The hardy clock soldier was still there (she had to admire him for that), so she asked him the time. "Ding dong! Ding dong!" He replied happily, "The current time is: 13:47."  
  
Zelda thanked him and turned to go back to the Spider House. She walked slowly, reflecting.  
  
"There you are," Link said as she stepped in the door. He had (obviously) woken up. "You know, I've been thinking, and this Tektite thing is not a coincidence. I'm sure there's a connection with the Moblins."   
  
"I know," Zelda said. "And I agree."   
  
"So the only question is, where will it strike next?"  
  
Zelda was thrown back to the glimmer in the sky last night. Hmm, what was southwest? "Maybe Lake Hylia," she said.  
  
Link was puzzled. "Lake Hylia? Zelda, what are you….?"  
  
"I have a feeling," she fibbed, "kind of like when I had prophetic dreams."  
  
Link considered, then shrugged. "All right. To Lake Hylia we go. And I think we should go right away, because if something like this happens again…."  
  
"I'd really rather be there," Zelda said quietly. He nodded in silent agreement.  
  
"All right. So, where did the horses wind up?" The princess asked.  
  
"I didn't see clearly, but I believe they were helping us last night, using their hooves," he grinned.  
  
She grinned back. "I must remember to thank Malon for her fine training job, and make her prominent in the castle's resources list."  
  
"I bet the horses went off to the field to graze," he said quickly.  
  
"Probably."  
  
After thanking Torin and his sons profusely, the hero and the princess departed from Kakariko Village. The villagers were nothing but gratitude, but Link and Zelda waved away all their reward offerings, for they needed their supplies now more than ever. The two did find Epona and Odin in Hyrule Field. The horses were standing by the river, drinking. Link and Zelda let them finish, and then set off on the thirteen-hour estimated trip to Lake Hylia. 


	8. Starlight and Secrets

"So Link," Zelda asked as they rode, "Any new ideas on who could be behind this?"  
  
"I still haven't got a clue," he replied. "No, no, that's not right. Yes, I do have a clue. Look, Zelda, this will sound completely crazy, but.."  
  
"Yes?" Zelda felt a pang of guilt that Link was willing to share his ideas whilst she lied about mysterious starlights.  
  
He took a deep breath. "Last night, I had a dream. Rauru came to speak to me in my sleep."  
  
"Rauru?" She asked.  
  
"I don't get it either."  
  
"Hmm. Well, did you ask him about the Tektites?"  
  
"I asked if they were linked to the Moblins, and all he said was: 'It's possible; it's probable. But I'll tell you one thing, it's not Ganon.' Zelda, what does that mean?"  
  
The princess thought for a second. "Well, I don't know, but maybe he's saying.Ganon didn't send them?"  
  
Link smacked his head. "Of course!" He smiled at Zelda. "Congratulations, princess, you have cracked Rauru's code." He paused. "Wonder why he mentioned Ganon?"  
  
"It's a mystery to me," Zelda said.  
  
"Mmm. So, have you been to Lake Hylia before?"  
  
"Yes," Zelda said. "Of course."  
  
"No, I mean, have you BEEN there? Ever dove as deep as you can into the lake? Made up tunes on the spot for the scarecrows? Gone fishing until way, way, past your bedtime?" He was grinning mischievously.  
  
She couldn't help but smile, too. "Can't say I've done that."  
  
"Then you will have to," he said in a final manner.  
  
"Can't wait," she told him. "I've always had an unreasonably early bedtime." This brought a laugh out of Link.  
  
"And you should meet the lab guy. He's, well, he's freaky," Link said bluntly. "He likes to eat.."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Frog.eyeballs," the hero finished.  
  
Zelda nearly gagged before she burst out laughing. "Ew!" The princess exclaimed.  
  
"I know!" Link agreed.  
  
"So what is it about these scarecrows?" Zelda wondered. "They like.music?"  
  
"Ok, it sounds weird," Link began, "but if you play or sing them a song, they start to dance around and call you 'baby' a lot. But they're cool guys."  
  
"Link, you are the only person I know who can make friends with scarecrows," Zelda shook her head.  
  
"It's a gift," Link said fake-modestly.  
  
And so it went like that for the rest of the light day. This kind of conversation was a welcome change from the near-arguments of the last time they were on horses going somewhere. Pretty soon night fell. They kept going for a couple hours after dark, but before long they stopped for the night.  
  
Of course, neither one was in the least bit tired. They had slept until almost 14:00 that day, after all. So instead of trying to sleep, Link got a bonfire going, and they ate dinner portions of the delicious Gerudo food. They didn't tend to the fire, and after it burned out, they didn't bother to relight it. Instead they lay on opposite sides of the firepit and stared into the stars.  
  
"Look, Link," Zelda said. "That's your constellation!"  
  
Link sat up. "I have a constellation?"  
  
"Yep! The castle historians and astronomers both thought that you deserved one, so that cluster of stars over there became it. That's how they do things, you know, find the stars and then decide what they look like." Link chuckled. "And right next to you is Epona-she does look kind of like a horse.." The real Epona, resting nearby, snorted. "They thought you should have one too," Zelda adressed the animal.  
  
"What's it like to live in the palace?" Link asked, lying back down.  
  
"It's all right. It's definitely better, now that I'm older. When I was twelve and thirteen, my life was an endless schedule of lessons-besides usual things, you know, like arithemtic, there was protocol, dancing, etiquette. But I did like the diplomacy. Anyway, I'm finished with all that, and now that I've proven I can fend for myself I don't really have to learn anything else." She paused. "I'm sorry, am I rambling?"  
  
"No, I don't mind. It's fascinating. Besides, you already know my story."  
  
"That's right," Zelda said. "Well. Of course, there are always banquets and receptions and visiting delegates to fill my days with, and they always want to meet the princess who will be queen of Calatia."  
  
"You're going to be queen of Calatia?"  
  
"Yeah, didn't you know? I'm engaged to Prince Harlan. He's my oldest friend," she added as a sort of afterthought.  
  
Link was quiet for a moment. "Do you love him?"  
  
"What?"  
  
He sat up. "Harlan. Do you love him?"  
  
"He's like a brother to me.." She trailed off. But no, she was not in love with him. Was that the question Link was asking? Why did he want to know? She gave him the benefit of the doubt and said, "But, love him like a husband, I don't. But I don't mind marrying him, because there are worse people I could be stuck with."  
  
"I understand," Link said lying down again. They were silent for a little bit, each to their own thoughts, and then:  
  
"Link, I've been meaning to ask you."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"The battle today, or was it yesterday.was that what it was like? Going to the temples, and banishing monsters, and that period of time?"  
  
"No." Link paused. "It was worse."  
  
"Worse than that?"  
  
"Those were.very difficult times."  
  
"Tell me?"  
  
"Yes, all right. I guess I should tell someone." He took a deep breath. "It wasn't the difficulty of what I was doing. I do hold the Triforce of Courage, after all. It was the utter hopelessness, the numb feeling that had taken the entire land over, and was tearing it apart.. The people had totally given up their happiness, Zelda. They didn't even bother to talk of the time before anymore. It was like hope was taboo."  
  
"They were like that," she said gently. "But then.you came. And you gave hope to a people that had none."  
  
"Yeah. After I banished the demon from the Forest Temple, all the Kokiri, my old friends, who couldn't even leave their homes, were playing in the streets, laughing and talking like it was seven years ago. And the Deku Tree Sprout was always so happy! He had faith in me. He had hope, and his hope rested on me. It was pressure, certainly, but.it was nice. I really took it as a kid. Being a Hylian meant I had no fairy for ten years of my life, and the others in the village really thought that was wrong. Except Saria."  
  
"She stood by you?"  
  
He made a hand gesture, he and Saria's sort of secret handshake, which she couldn't see because of the dark. "Always. But Mido was determined to make my life miserable. And even though he really apologized, and I have no longer any anger towards him, it still hurt when I was a kid."  
  
"That's awful." Zelda didn't mind that he was basically putting it all on the table here. She did her best to be sympathetic, and to listen, because she knew what he really needed was an ear to do just that.  
  
"So what happened to you? When Ganondorf took over?" Link said, abruptly changing the subject.  
  
"I fled. You saw me and Impa, remember? Well, we hid out for a while, in Calatia with their royal family. My father felt awful about it the whole time because he thought he should have actually been in Hyrule instead of directing troops from Calatia. While we were there, Impa taught me about the ways of the Sheikah, since she figured I'd need the training then more than ever. After I was proficient, and even skilled, Impa gave me the costume that she wore when she was my age. I have no idea why she kept it so long. But I would go out and practice in the night. We lived like that for five or six years, depending on the Calatians for everything. It was in those days that my father and Harlan's mother struck up the deal for us to be married." She paused, then went on. "After a long time, Impa felt the call of the Sages and went to Kakariko to protect the Shadow Temple, and after she and Harlan had helped me escape, I traveled Hyrule as Sheik, the survivor of the Sheikahs. And then, I felt I had to return to the Temple of Time, and that was the day you landed. The rest is history."  
  
"Yeah." He thought for a moment. "And now we're here, trying to destroy something we can't understand, or fight, or even see."  
  
"Maybe we can see it.." Zelda said slowly.  
  
"You got something on this?"  
  
"Look. I wanted to come to Lake Hylia, not because of anything.well.psychic. Last night, I saw this weird glimmer of light in the sky. I know it wasn't a star, and there aren't supposed to be any comets showing up for at least thirty years. It looked too close to be heavenly anyway." She paused. "And it was in the southwestern sky."  
  
"Right over Lake Hylia," Link finished.  
  
"That's right. I thought you'd think I was crazy if I told you."  
  
"Nah, I don't think anything's crazy anymore. Well, if you see it again, then tell me."  
  
And that was it. Zelda had thought he might be mad that she lied, but Link didn't care at all about her deceit.  
  
"What do you think it could have been?" He asked, shaking her out of her thoughts.  
  
"I don't have any idea. Something magical?"  
  
"Hmm." There was more silence for many moments, though it was comfortable, before Link said completely randomly: "So where did you get the name Sheik from? That can't possibly be authentic. It's like calling Ruto 'Zor'."  
  
Zelda chuckled. "No, it isn't authentic. Someone I ran into once on the street asked me my name, and I hadn't come up with one previously, so I was starting to say 'Sheikah' when I remembered his question and stopped short. Thus, 'Sheik' was born. And it stuck."  
  
Link laughed. "And people didn't know enough to realize that it wasn't real?"  
  
"Yeah, it's a dead culture, you know, and there aren't any records anywhere. Except Impa, who has all the wisdom of the Sheikah in her heart."  
  
"Is she really the last one?"  
  
"You bet. But something about Impa.I don't think the Sheikah were entirely human.."  
  
"And that means.."  
  
"Impa may or may not be immortal. I don't know, but it's definitely in the cards."  
  
"Wow. You think you know your friends.."  
  
This brought a laugh out of Zelda. "Seriously."  
  
"So then what's the deal with Rauru?" Link asked.  
  
"Well, he's got spells. That's different. And they're all from ancient times, when magic was more powerful. He's actually completely unnatural, when you come right down to it."  
  
"Yeah, but we knew that already," Link joked.  
  
"Oh, be nice," Zelda said, even though she was grinning.  
  
"So then, if there's a sage for each race from Hyrule, where do you come in?"  
  
"Heck, I don't even understand that. I'm definitely a Hylian, so it's not like I'm a seventh race or something. Of course, supposedly there's some of the goddesses' own blood in the royal family, but that shouldn't make too much difference."  
  
"And where do I come in? I'm not a sage.."  
  
"No, you're not. You're one of a kind. I don't know.the way the castle historians make it sound, you're the one who does the work of the sages. The chosen one, I guess."  
  
"I like the sound of 'the chosen one'," Link said thoughtfully. "Well. If there's another battle tomorrow when we get to Lake Hylia, I, for one, want to be well rested."  
  
"I guess you have a point. Good night then, though I doubt I'll get too much sleep."  
  
"Me neither. But rest is good anyway. Good night, Zelda. Have a great dream of the stars."  
  
"What?"  
  
Link chuckled. "The Gerudo say that."  
  
"It's nice."  
  
"Yeah, I like it. Good night."  
  
"Good night."  
  
Zelda was right; she didn't get to sleep for quite some time, but when she did, she slept soundly. Link took even longer to fall asleep, but he didn't mind. He couldn't think of a more relaxing situation than the one he currently found himself in; under the stars in a vast field, all alone but for your horses and your friend. He liked to listen to her breathing. It was calming, somehow. Link, feeling somewhat philosophical, considered that perhaps it was because no one had ever been there before. He'd never had time to rest like this before, and he had to admit, he did greatly prefer talking to Zelda over, well, talking to Navi. Link chuckled into the darkness at his thought. Finally, well into the night, he dropped off to sleep. 


	9. Lakewater

Zelda woke up the following morning to sunshine on her face. She glanced at the sun quickly (so as not to look into it directly) and recognized the 8:00 position. Good, they hadn't slept too late. She sat up into a soft morning breeze.  
  
Link was in sight; he was standing in the field a little ways off, practicing with his sword. Instead of going over and bothering him, the princess stayed where she was, and sat, entranced. In the morning light, it was a very beautiful thing to watch; Link's fighting drills were like rhythmic dances, each one executed with perfect form and perfect speed. Thrust in, and out; cut here, swipe there-it was all moving together, all making a pattern. The princess found it more spectacular than most artworks she'd seen.  
  
After watching for a while, she slowly got up, and began to walk over to him. He seemed completely absorbed in his pattern dance. When she got just out of blade range, the princess stopped; she was behind Link's back, but the pattern soon spun him around. When he saw her he stopped abruptly, and lost concentration, and exclaimed, "Zelda!"  
  
Zelda gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I startle you?"  
  
Link smiled. "Don't worry, it's all right. I was almost finished anyway." They started back towards the fire pit.  
  
"It was very beautiful," she began. "The drill you were doing."  
  
"Oh, thanks!" He said. "I made it up myself."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Well, yeah, it's not like there was anyone to teach me this stuff."  
  
"I guess that's true. It was amazing."  
  
She was rewarded with a sincere smile, and a slight blush. "Thanks."  
  
"And so you say you'll teach me that someday?"  
  
"Yep," Link said, re-sheathing his sword, "someday. But not just yet. In the meantime, I suppose we ought to be heading for Lake Hylia, hm?"  
  
"Yeah," she said. They went and found their horses; neither Odin nor Epona had wandered too far. Link and Zelda found them grazing peacefully under a nearby tree. They mounted up and started off towards the four- walled gate that safeguarded the placid Lake Hylia.  
  
"So. . . how do we get through that?" Zelda wondered as they approached the four fences.  
  
"We jump," Link replied.  
  
"We. . . jump?" Zelda asked, a bit of nervousness creeping into her voice.  
  
"Yeah," he said. "They really need to put in an actual gate." Then he noticed the look on her face. "Don't worry, you can do it!" Zelda did not look very reassured. "Here, it's easy. Watch me." He turned Epona towards the fences at a direct angle and kicked her into a gallop; they cleared the gate easily and gracefully.  
  
Epona landed neatly, and Link turned his palomino back towards the fence to see that Zelda hadn't followed suit. She looked terrified now. "Is something wrong?" He asked, concern coming into his eyes.  
  
"I'm, kind of, um, a little bit, well, scared of jumping," Zelda said.  
  
Link took pity on her, and smiled. He and Epona jumped back across the fences to where Zelda was still mounted on an anxious Odin. "Here, now, it's not so high," he said. "Look how short it is. You could step over that." Zelda was still looking at the fence like it was about to explode. "Now why should you be scared of jumping over that-that thing?"  
  
It was a rhetorical question, and she knew that, but Zelda soon found herself answering anyway. "It's just that when I was younger, and I was learning to ride, jumping was the one thing I couldn't do, because the first time I ever tried it, I. . . " She trailed off.  
  
"Yes?" Link asked gently, concernedly.  
  
"I fell, and I.broke my arm, and then I couldn't do anything for a month and a half, and by the time it was healed I was very scared of jumping, and even a little scared of horses. The latter," she finished, "I've gotten over. But the former. . . " The princess looked at him earnestly.  
  
"I understand," he said, and by the look in his eyes she could tell he really did. "And," he continued, "I have an idea."  
  
"You do?" The princess asked. She DID want to get over that fence.  
  
"Why don't you try jumping on Epona?"  
  
"Thanks, but I don't think the horse will make too much difference. And anyway Odin wouldn't let you ride him."  
  
"I meant, with me," he said. "Like, two to a horse."  
  
Zelda paused. "Oh." Then: "All right, but what about Odin?"  
  
"Hobble him, he'll be fine. He's a good horse."  
  
Zelda dismounted and did so; then, she went over to Epona and climbed up into the saddle behind Link as best she could. "Ready?" He asked as soon as she was steady.  
  
"As ready as I'm gonna be," she replied. He chuckled and turned Epona towards the quadruplet fences, and then backed her up so as to be able to get a good running jump. Zelda took a deep breath. Riding like this wasn't so bad, but she didn't think she'd want to try it with anyone who wasn't a close friend.  
  
"Here we go! Remember to lean forward when we're jumping!" Link said. Zelda shut her eyes tight and held on to him. Link urged Epona into a gallop. Zelda felt motion but did not open her eyes. The fence approached, and Link calmly gave Epona the signal to jump. She took off; Link felt sorry for Zelda and put one of his own hands on hers, which were clenched around his waist. Zelda, meanwhile, felt wind rushing through her long blonde hair, and opened her eyes for just a second. She could see the grass several feet below her, but now, it didn't look threatening somehow. Even so, she closed her eyes again and held on tighter. Epona landed, but there was another fence.  
  
They landed for a second time. "And that's it," Link said. Zelda released her grip and sat up straight. She blinked once, twice, at the ground below them and the fences behind them and Odin neighing on the other side of the fences. They really had done it. She laughed for joy and threw her arms around Link again, in a hug this time. He rolled his eyes, but smiled and patted her arm.  
  
"See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?" He asked as he let Epona go into an easy walk towards the lake.  
  
"I guess not," Zelda answered. "Wow, I never thought I'd ever jump again!"  
  
"So then how did you get into Lake Hylia before this?"  
  
"There are ladders," she replied simply.  
  
He rolled his eyes again, his smile reappearing just as quickly. Yes, there were ladders, but they were old and tall and difficult. Oh well, never mind that. Just past this bend and they'd be at the lake.  
  
He saw a glint of light reflected off the water, and felt the joy he always felt at going to Lake Hylia. It was vast and deep, and filled with the purest of water; water that flowed miles and miles from Zora's Domain, through the Field, splitting into two moats for the castle and for the city gate, then meeting up again in the Field to flow through Gerudo Valley and wind up here, at its final resting place, the sparkling clear lake that he so loved to visit. He rushed Epona forth to get there faster.  
  
But at the sight he met, he stopped the palomino in her tracks. Zelda gasped behind him.  
  
So the princess had been right. The lake was swamped with Guays, Blue Tektites, and Octorocks! You could barely see the water! Hundreds upon hundreds of Guays, wicked crows, Blue Tektites, like the Red but of the water variety, and Octorocks, like terrible octopi, were absolutely everywhere! Link jumped down from the back of Epona and Zelda followed. She began to fend off the nearest monsters with Sheikah techniques, and he ripped open the saddle bags for his weapons. His fingers settled on Din's Fire. Good enough.  
  
"Zelda, come over here! Quickly!" The princess did not question his orders, but came and stood close to him to avoid the flames. He cast Din's Fire on the ground and everything within about a one hundred foot orb was instantly incinerated.  
  
"Wow," Zelda marveled for just a second before going back to fighting.  
  
They were standing by the patches of grass just above the lake laboratory. After Din's Fire destroyed all the monsters around them, there was a new wave coming from the scarecrow's gardens and Link and Zelda were pushed back towards the bridge over the lake. The made their way down the rickety wooden bridge back-to-back, Zelda fending off all the monsters in front and Link, all the monsters behind.  
  
In the midst of battle, Link and Zelda presently found themselves on the island with the sole grave on it. They were forced to split and go around either side of the stone slab. Zelda was picking off an Octorock on her side when a guay flew behind her and knocked her off!  
  
Falling, and then-Link's gauntleted hand had caught her wrist. He pulled her back up. "Thank you," she said before dealing with the guay that had done the dirty deed. Link nodded like it was nothing. They returned to the back-to-back position and started down the next bridge.  
  
The island in the center of the lake was a little bit bigger and had a shore, so one couldn't fall off. However, that also meant that the Octorocks and Blue Tektites in the water had an easier time getting at Link and Zelda! They were pushed back to the huge tree in the middle of the island. Link was hacking at some monsters when he presently realized that Zelda was no longer by his side! "ZELDA!" He cried, looking around briefly, drawing his attention away from the monsters that were attacking him. He turned back towards them just an instant too late, and looked like certain doom when-  
  
Suddenly, he was wrenched up into the tree! He turned around and saw Zelda crouching on the top with some rope in her hand that she pulled him up with. "A life for a life," she said breathlessly, firing off a kick at a Tektite that was scaling the trunk. "How did you get up here?" Link asked, aiming an arrow.  
  
"The Sheikah jump really well," she said simply.  
  
"Ah."  
  
From their perch on top of the tree, Link and Zelda could see that they had made a very large dent in the population of monsters at the lake. In fact, if they could get them all onto the island, and then if Link cast Din's Fire in the middle of the island, the monsters would all be gone! The only problem was, how to get them there. . .  
  
"Look out!" Zelda cried. A gigantic Guay was swooping in on them! On impulse Link took Zelda's hand and jumped off of the tree into the water. "How did he get that big?" She asked when she resurfaced.  
  
"Happens when you kill ten of them," Link replied breathlessly.  
  
Zelda nodded and swum back to land. Link fired off an arrow at the giant Guay. They stayed on the island, fending the monsters off as quickly as possible, and soon it became evident that their plan was working without any of their own, well, planning. The monsters were slowly closing in on the island! Just a little bit more-and-  
  
They were all in range! Link set off Din's Fire as quickly as he could as Zelda dove quickly underwater to escape the flames. When she came back up again, Lake Hylia was peaceful once more.  
  
"Whew," the princess sighed, trudging back up onto land. "That was a little bit easier. . . a little bit. . . "  
  
"Yeah." Link sat down at the base of the tree. "You okay?"  
  
"I think I'll live," Zelda said.  
  
"So, where to next?"  
  
"I don't know. . . keep your eyes open."  
  
"Okay."  
  
They sat at the base of that tree for about an hour, not saying anything, just resting. When Link and Zelda both felt ready to go on, they got up, and went to where they had left Epona, by the entrance to the Lake. They mounted up, and Zelda braced herself for jumping again; not wanting to look at the gates in front of her, she looked up at the sky instead. And there it was; the same shining gold light she had seen before. "Look," she said to Link, pointing it out. "What's over to the northeast, over there?"  
  
Link looked. "In that direction," he began calmly. Then his eyes filled with fear. "In that direction," he said once more, shakily. "In that direction is. . . "  
  
"Yes?"  
  
". . . Kokiri. . . Forest." 


	10. Tragedy

Link urged Epona faster. Zelda clung helplessly as they flew over the two fences. After they landed for the second time, she lifted her head to look around, and realized-Odin was missing!  
  
"Link!" she exclaimed.  
  
He reined in Epona. "What is it?"  
  
"Odin-he's nowhere!"  
  
"Well. . . " Link paused. "Well, where do you think he would have gone?"  
  
Zelda couldn't believe he was going to look while his HOME was in danger! "Uh, the river, maybe?"  
  
"Let's go look," Link said. He turned Epona north and urged her into a gallop. Zelda still held on to him. Over the crest of the hill, the river passed into view; however, it was devoid of Odin! "Maybe by Kakariko?" She suggested. "Oh, but that's hours out of the way. . . ."  
  
"Never mind that," Link said solidly. He once again urged Epona into a gallop and directed the faithful palomino northeast. He said nothing as they rode down the long, winding dirt trail together.  
  
"Link?" Zelda said.  
  
"Yeah?" He answered distantly.  
  
She paused. "Thank you," she said quietly.  
  
He turned slowly in the saddle to look at her. "It's nothing. . . I know what that horse means to you. . . "  
  
"Still." She sat up. "Link, let's go to the forest."  
  
"But what about O-"  
  
"Odin can wait," she interrupted. "He can take care of himself. Your home is in danger."  
  
"If you're sure you don't mind-"  
  
"I don't mind," Zelda said.  
  
Link's face broke into a smile. "Thank you!" He said turning Epona in the direction of Kokiri Forest. Zelda smiled back, knowingly.  
  
Despite the straight line they made towards Kokiri Forest, it still took a long time to get there. With every moment that passed by, Link seemed to become more and more tense. Zelda only wished that she could help more. It was then that the fact became evident to her: in the last few days, Link had become, aside from Harlan, her best friend. He was someone she could completely relate to. And she did NOT want him to have to lose his home-his home!-because of her.  
  
A little while later, Epona was cantering down the dusty road shaded with trees that led straight to Kokiri Forest. Outside the huge log entrance, the hero jumped straight out of the saddle and dashed into the log without looking back. Zelda followed suit as best she could in a skirt.  
  
Link crossed the rickety wooden bridge at full-out-run. He drew his sword, his face set with determination, ready to fight any battle to save his friends and his home! He charged through the log at the other end of the bridge, sword already in the "guard" position as he ran, and came out the other side of the log at top speed to find-  
  
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.  
  
It was gone. . . all of it. Clouds of dust still settled onto the barren ground. All around him stood the empty skeletons of buildings, the buildings his whole life used to center around. Slowly, Link resheathed his sword and trudged a few steps down the empty dirt road. His eyes took on a glazed appearance, completely defeated but too stunned to shed tears. His mouth hung slightly open in shock. He felt numb. This couldn't be real.  
  
Behind him, he heard Zelda's running footsteps echoing through the log tunnel, eager for battle, but when she emerged into the light of Kokiri Forest, she stopped short just as he had. The princess's hand rose to her mouth. "Link. . . " she whispered. "Oh my goddess. . . I'm so sorry. . . "  
  
He wanted to say something, wanted to tell her that he didn't blame her or Odin, to reassure her that it would all be alright, but he couldn't find the words. He turned to her, his eyes full of emptiness, and said nothing.  
  
Without another word Link turned and ran off into the forest. Zelda watched him go, an expression of pain on her face. She had been so stupid. Why had she made him go and look for Odin? If they had just gone straight to the forest, then this never would have happened. And now, Link surely hated her. He had every right to.  
  
She strode aimlessly down what remained of the dirt road. Occupied with her own thoughts, Zelda hardly noticed the sound of sobbing coming from somewhere nearby. She turned to look for the source.  
  
In the middle of the oblivion, somehow, Saria's house still stood. The little Kokiri was leaning against the doorframe, weeping. Slowly, Zelda approached. "Saria. . . ?" she said slowly.  
  
The green-haired girl looked up suddenly. "Zelda!" She stood and dusted herself off, wiping away her tears quickly. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I don't know," Zelda said honestly. "What. . . happened?"  
  
Saria's eyes filled with tears again. "They fled, Zelda," she said bitterly. "And now, everything is all gone! We were just living as usual, when suddenly, there were all these Moblins and Stalfos and Skulltulas and Deku Babas and-everything, every monster conceivable in the entire forest! And they destroyed everything. . . no one could have stopped them. . . particularly not us. What are we anyway!? A bunch of kids!" Saria slowed herself for a second, calming down. "And now, there is nothing. Nothing and no one. Everyone is so deep in hiding that not even the faeries can find them, and they're never coming back."  
  
"I am so sorry," Zelda said slowly, though she knew she wasn't helping much.  
  
Saria dried her eyes again. "Don't say that. It's not like it's your fault."  
  
Oh, but it is, Zelda thought. She felt awful. But she had to ask: "I do have one question. . . why is your house still standing?"  
  
"I don't know," Saria said. "I wish it wasn't, and everyone else's was. I guess I should keep on living in it. If you'd like to come inside, I could make some tea or something." And with that, Saria retreated into her house. Zelda thanked her but did not take up her offer.  
  
The princess kept on wandering through the empty streets. She felt like such an outsider. She had only been here once in her life, and it had been so full of wonders then, but now, it was gone. And it was all her fault. She felt that she had no right to feel sad about what had happened, but she couldn't help it.  
  
The road took Zelda to the Great Deku Tree's Meadow. She was a little relieved to see that the Deku Tree Sprout was still alive. She went up to talk to it.  
  
"Princess," it greeted her, attempting to be cheerful and failing.  
  
"Hello," she answered absently. "What happened here?"  
  
"Something powerful," it responded. "That's all I know. There was suddenly this light in the sky, and then there were monsters, and that was it."  
  
"I feel terrible."  
  
"Why do you feel terrible?"  
  
"Well. . . Link and I were on the way here, and I held us up, because my horse had run away, and maybe. . . maybe if we had gotten here sooner, then. . . " she trailed off.  
  
"You mustn't blame yourself, princess. These monsters were hideously powerful. . . I don't think anyone could have stopped this from happening."  
  
"But we didn't even have a chance to try!"  
  
"You would have only been killed as well," the Sprout said gently. "And what would have happened to the future of Calatia then?"  
  
Zelda did not answer right away. "Thank you," she said finally, and turned to leave.  
  
"Princess! Would you grant me a favor?" the Sprout asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Would you find Link and direct him to me?"  
  
Zelda nodded. "I will try to find him."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Zelda made her way back towards the empty village and went in the direction that she had seen Link run off to the forest. She didn't really know her way around that well, but did her best to follow any kind of trail she might find.  
  
Link had gone off into the forest aimlessly. He hadn't bothered to use the log roads. His mind was so wracked with thought and emotion that he simply hadn't cared to. After wandering for a little while, he found an unmapped clearing with a log in the center of it. He sat down to rest. The sky above was grey and clouded; Link thought it seemed to fit the situation. His mind was clouded.  
  
After a little bit of searching Zelda came upon the clearing. She still felt terrible. Before she sent Link to the Deku Tree Sprout, she wanted to talk to him herself. The princess considered what she was going to say, then began to approach Link. Midstride, though, she stopped short. Her breath caught in her throat.  
  
Sitting in that clearing, it had all hit Link at once. His home was gone, and he could never go back, never! He felt so alone. . . like he had nothing in the world. He knew that that wasn't true, but he still felt miserable. He felt that his entire childhood, all his memories, had been reduced to the dust that was now being swept away on the breeze. Before he knew it tears were pouring down his face and he was making no effort to stop them.  
  
Zelda saw something in his eyes. . . something she could never describe. Then she realized that Link was crying.  
  
And something clicked that had never clicked before. 


	11. Going On

AN: Just so we're all clear on the last chapter, what I meant by "and something clicked that had never clicked before" was that Zelda is now, officially, whether she knows it or not, in love with Link. Meaning upcoming chapters are going to be more fun. :P Now back to the story.  
  
  
  
Zelda stepped slowly into the clearing. "Link. . . ?"  
  
Link gasped and looked up. "Zelda! I-"  
  
"It's okay, I-I'm sorry." She gazed into his eyes, and quite lost herself for a moment.  
  
"Was there something you needed?" He said, breaking her out of the spell.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry. . . it's just that, the Deku Sprout wanted to talk to you."  
  
"Okay. Thanks," Link said, and started off in the direction of the Meadow.  
  
"Wait! I-wanted to talk to you myself, for a second. . . " She looked at him earnestly.  
  
Link turned back around. "Yes?"  
  
"I am so sorry about everything," she said. "If we hadn't gone after Odin, then-"  
  
"It's not your fault, Zelda," he said, as if she were being completely silly.  
  
Zelda said nothing for a moment. "No, I suppose not. . . but still. . ."  
  
"Don't think of it," he said, trying to smile.  
  
Zelda looked at him meaningfully, but said nothing. Link turned back around and kept on his way to the Deku Sprout.  
  
"Link," it said in greeting when he approached it.  
  
"Hello," the hero responded listlessly.  
  
"You seem downtrodden."  
  
Link sighed. "Is it that obvious?" he asked, but the sarcasm was half-hearted.  
  
The Sprout paused for a moment. "Zelda seems to think it's all her fault."  
  
"She can't blame herself," Link insisted.  
  
"No, but she does," the Sprout replied, "and you can't both be so glum."  
  
"I know. I know we have to go on. But. . . " he trailed off.  
  
"You can be sad," the Sprout said. "But you can't stop trying. You're all we've got. You and Zelda are the only things that stand in the way of this happening everywhere in Hyrule."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be." He paused for a second. "Of course, you can rest here until you're ready to move on."  
  
"Thank you," he said.  
  
Link turned and trudged slowly away. "Keep your hope up, Link," the Deku Sprout called after him.  
  
The hero wondered where he ought to be going. Where would Zelda have gone to? The object now was to find her. He made his way back to the clearing. She was sitting on the log that he had left before, waiting, it seemed. She looked up at him when he entered.  
  
"What did the Sprout have to say?" she asked.  
  
Link did not answer right away. "He said that we have to go on," he said finally. "He told me that we have keep going, because if we give up then there is no hope at all."  
  
"He's right, of course," Zelda said, to herself as much as to Link.  
  
"Yeah," Link said. "But not until tomorrow. I want to get some sleep first."  
  
"Agreed," Zelda said with a yawn. "Let's go."  
  
  
  
The night was entirely too peaceful. But, once they fell asleep, Link and Zelda did get a good night's rest, and they awoke in higher spirits than the previous evening. When the sun came up and it was light outside, Link brought Epona back to his house and the two began to groom her.  
  
Link suddenly gasped. "Wait! Wait, what if they-" Eyes wide, he turned and ran off into the trees.  
  
"Link! Wait! What?!" Zelda yelled, following him. Epona snorted after them, but began to graze peacefully.  
  
In a regular kind of race, Zelda could have kept up with Link, but in the forest he knew the way and she didn't. It was all she could do to try to catch a glimpse of his distinct tunic every now and again, but soon they emerged out into the log tunnel network, where it was a little bit easier.  
  
Link had turned into a log that came out not in another squared-off clearing, but into a maze. She was able to see him diving into the maze, but after that Zelda lost him. However, the maze turned out to be not terribly difficult to navigate, and soon, she found herself at the foot of a grand flight of stairs. Zelda ran up them, and across a long, narrow area of flat land to another flight of stairs, and emerged into what seemed to be a courtyard in the middle of the forest.  
  
Link was standing in the middle of the courtyard, beaming up at a tall stone temple with a look of relief in his eyes. Outside the high walls of the structure, a staircase emerged into the center of the courtyard, but it was broken off after the second step or so. The courtyard lacked for other features, except a tree, a short stump, a Gossip Stone, and, of course, the seal of the temple carved into a stone hexagon in the center. "This is the Forest Temple, isn't it?" Zelda said to no one in particular.  
  
"Yes it is," Link answered gleefully. "Gosh, if this place had been destroyed, I would have just-died!"  
  
"Don't die, Link, the world needs you," Zelda said.  
  
Link laughed. "Ok, I'll do my best." He pulled out his Longshot and fired at a branch that hung over the landing at the top of the crumbled staircase. An instant later he was on the landing, looking down. "Come up here! There's a nice view," he bade Zelda.  
  
"How?" She asked.  
  
"Oh!" Link tossed her the Longshot. "Now come on!"  
  
Zelda laughed and fired the Longshot the same way that she had seen Link doing it, but still her shot was a little off somehow, and she was about to slip when suddenly-she felt his hands grab her own and pull her up. "Don't fall," he said breathlessly. Zelda smiled. She turned to look, and found that he had been right; it was a nice view!  
  
All of the sudden, Link gasped. "What is it?" Zelda said, looking at him with concern.  
  
"Look!" He said, pointing off towards the north. Zelda turned to look and gasped herself.  
  
"Is that what you've been seeing?" He asked solemnly.  
  
She nodded. "That's Zora's River, over there, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah," he said. "Let's go."  
  
They leapt off of the landing and raced back to Link's house. He all but threw the saddle onto Epona's back, then jumped into it. Zelda mounted up behind him, and then they were off!  
  
Once they reached the Field, Epona slowed to a walk. She couldn't go full gallop all the way to Zora's River, and anyway, the Zoras would be able to protect themselves better than the Kokiri had, better than any other place they'd been to had.  
  
Zelda was suddenly finding riding this way to be a very different experience. All of the sudden, she liked to be close to Link. And it was for a reason that she couldn't fathom, but in the back of her mind and the bottom of heart, she already knew. She knew she was being completely ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. . . .She was all tied up anyway, and so was he, for that matter, and for her part, Zelda ought to forget it, but she couldn't, even though she was trying all the long way to Zora's River.  
  
"Do you think this. . .thing. . .will ever strike the capital?" Link asked, shaking Zelda out of her thoughts.  
  
"I hope not!" Zelda said. Then she remembered what had just happened. "Oh, I'm sorry. . ." she apologized, hanging her head.  
  
"Don't think of it," Link said. "I hope it doesn't get to the castle either. If the court was destroyed, then Hyrule would lapse into civil war. . .we have to stop this thing," he said.  
  
"And we will," Zelda answered. "Together." Link turned back to look at her with a touch of surprise, and she looked right back with resolve in her eyes. "Kokiri Forest was the first and the last."  
  
He smiled in spite of himself. ". . .You mean it?" He asked slowly. "You'll be there?"  
  
"The whole way," she answered.  
  
Link pausesd. "Thanks," he said.  
  
"Don't thank me. We've got to get to Zora's River."  
  
"Oh!" Link realized, and directed Epona back into the right direction. Behind his back, Zelda was smiling broadly to herself. 


	12. Riverwide

Zora's River was a sparkling river full of crystal-clear blue water and healthy fish. However, Epona still refused to cross it.  
  
"Come on, girl," Link pleaded, leaning close to the mare's ear. "Please? All of Zora's River may be at stake!"  
  
The palomino wouldn't budge.  
  
Link sat back in the saddle. He sighed. "Sorry about this, Zelda, but we might have to ford the river."  
  
"It's all right." The princess climbed gracefully out of the saddle, and Link was close behind. "We can leave her here, can't we?"  
  
"I think we can trust her," the hero said, patting Epona's neck. "It's okay," he said to the horse. "I know you don't like water." Epona nickered. He smiled at her, then turned to the wide river behind him, and folded his arms, scowling at it. After a moment he ran back a few feet and just jumped across. He landed, and turned back to face the opposite bank. "Come on, then," Link said, stretching his hand back over the river.  
  
Zelda looked at him uncertainly for a moment. She placed her hand in his. His grip was strong. She could feel her breath catching in her throat-when suddenly he pulled back and she landed on the opposite bank in a rush!  
  
"I guess that's one way across," she said, catching her breath.  
  
"Guess so," said Link, standing up and dusting himself off. "You all right?"  
  
"I'll be fine," she answered, giving him a queer look.  
  
"Okay, then. Shall we go?"  
  
Zelda was a little fazed at the strange way that she had crossed the river, but picked herself up and followed Link nonetheless.  
  
They passed under the natural stone archway to find that indeed, as expected, Zora's River was swarmed with Octorocks, but also that King Zora's men had a definite handle on the situation. Link and Zelda breathed a sigh of relief before going to talk to an officer.  
  
"Where did these come from?" Link asked hurriedly.  
  
"Master Link! Princess Zelda!" The Zora knelt hurriedly, then rose again. "We don't know where they came from. There was this brilliant light illuminating the Domain from the outside, and then, they"-he gestured at the Octorocks-"showed up. We've got them under control, I think."  
  
"That's a relief," Zelda said.  
  
"Beg pardon?"  
  
"What? Oh, this'll all be explained later-as much as we know, anyway- is there anything we can do to help?" Link wanted to know.  
  
"You'd best go ask the King," the Zora said. "We seem to be all right with these Octorocks, but if this happens regularly then we won't be."  
  
"Don't worry. Come on, Zelda," Link said, starting up the riverbank. Zelda nodded her thanks to the Zora and followed.  
  
"These guys are awfully well trained," Zelda commented as they made their way towards Zora's Domain.  
  
"Yeah, the king has this whole long training program for 'em," Link answered. "Too bad he doesn't take part in it himself," he added in a mutter under his breath.  
  
Zelda suppressed laughter. "Link!" Zelda said scoldingly, but she was smiling. Link burst out laughing. "You'll have to learn diplomacy if you plan to be King!"  
  
"You know, I was actually thinking of taking His Majesty up on that," Link answered thoughtfully. "Whoa! Watch out!"  
  
Zelda's head snapped around to see an Octorock jumping up to spit a fireball at her! The fireball was fast, but-just in time, Link jumped in front of her and shielded it.  
  
"That was a close one," he said.  
  
"Thank you," she replied.  
  
"What say we get to Zora's Domain?" He asked breathlessly.  
  
"Okay," Zelda replied, and together they set off towards the high waterfall that secreted the entrance, racing past rows of Zoran warriors. At the source of the river was a network of paths, culminating in a plaque that stood just before the entrance to Zora's Domain. Link stood on it, took out his Ocarina, and played Zelda's Lullaby. Promptly, the waterfall parted and Link and Zelda jumped across into the square stone hollow.  
  
"Wow!" Zelda exclaimed when they got inside. "This is beautiful!"  
  
"Of course it is. Haven't you been in here before?"  
  
"No," she said, looking around to take in everything. Her eyes settled on the waterfall. "Wow. . . ." She said again.  
  
Link smiled at her, a smile that sent chills up Zelda's back. "You can jump off that waterfall, you know."  
  
"Really? Have you done it?"  
  
"Absolutely! It's awesome. . . ." Link shook his head like he was getting out of a trance. "We've got to see the King. Come on!" He took her hand and ran off up the long, narrow stone trail up to the throne room.  
  
King Zora was sitting on his throne, if that was what you would call it; to be more exact, the fish king was seated upon a wide stone slab with a short waterfall rushing over it. At his side was exactly the person Link did not want to see: Princess Ruto of the Zoras. She still had the idea gridlocked in her head that she would marry Link one day. When he saw her standing beside her father, Link dropped Zelda's hand and stood stock- still. Zelda gave him a bemused look.  
  
"LINKY-POO!" Ruto's voice rang all too clear through the chamber. She leapt off of the waterfall-throne and ran up to the poor hero, throwing her arms around him in a hug that Link did not return. Zelda, understanding the situation, raised her hand to her face where it did not quite cover her smile. Link looked at her like she was a traitor, which only made her want to laugh harder. "H-Hi, Ruto," Link managed to say.  
  
"OH!! You can't imagine how I've MISSED you!" Ruto cried, not dropping her arms. "I've been so lonely. . . and then there were these Octorocks. . . oh, I just KNEW you would come!!"  
  
"Yep, I'm. . . I'm here," Link said unsurely. "I am definitely here. . ."  
  
"I'm just SO happy that even though there was that awful battle raging outside, you came straight up here to see ME!!" Ruto was on the verge of tears by now. Link looked at Zelda, pleading for help with his eyes.  
  
Zelda was trembling with laughter, but she nodded at her poor friend. "Your majesty," she said, composing herself and sweeping into an elegant curtsey. "Is there anything we can do to help your troops?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, of course, m'lady," the King said. "We can always use trained bodies! Oh, and, by the way-welcome to Zora's Domain!" He smiled warmly.  
  
"Thank you, sire," Zelda said. "Come on, Link, we've got to go fight!"  
  
"Of course," Link said, peeling Ruto off. "Anything to serve the Zoran crown!" He turned and bolted for the door. Zelda curtseyed at the Zoras again, and left the way he had. In the hallway below the throne room, she burst into gales of withheld laughter.  
  
"That wasn't funny," Link said with a scowl.  
  
"Yes, yes it was," Zelda answered, still getting herself under control.  
  
"Yeah, maybe for you," Link said, flinching. "Ok, let's go help King Zora's men now."  
  
Zelda nodded, still giggling, and they started off back towards the door.  
  
"And, by the way?" Link said when they reached the entrance.  
  
"Yeah?" She asked, preparing to fight.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
This almost made Zelda burst into laughter all over again, but she fought it down and set after those pesky Octorocks.  
  
  
  
With all the King's men as well as Link and Zelda in the fight, it didn't last long. The Octorocks, who were relatively easy-to-kill monsters anyway, were beaten down very quickly. After the battle, Link and Zelda were given rooms to sleep in down a tunnel off the shop.  
  
The following morning, Zelda was sitting next to a small but cheery stream running through the corner of her chamber. She could see her own face reflected in the water. She still didn't know what to make of that face. Herself? Queen of Calatia? She could envision that, but. . . herself as Harlan's bride? She didn't want to envision that, even though, deep down, she knew that it did make sense. Frustrated, she splashed away her reflection and went to the other side of the room. She stared hard into the wall, but didn't see it for her own thoughts.  
  
Suddenly there was a soft rapping on the doorway. Zelda looked up to see Link standing there, leaning against the arch. "Zelda?" he asked.  
  
"Come in," she said. Why couldn't he be Harlan? Life made no sense.  
  
"Two things," Link began. "First of all, I wanted to apologize about the river crossing today. I guess I should have warned you about that. . . ." He trailed off, looking at her earnestly.  
  
"It's okay, we're here now. What's the second thing?"  
  
"Well, I have deemed that today is the day," Link said, a smile growing on his face.  
  
"The day for what?" Zelda stood, interested.  
  
"Today," Link said importantly, "I will begin to teach you the art of swordplay!"  
  
Zelda's face broke into a broad grin. "Thank you!" She exclaimed, jumping up and throwing her arms around him before she realized what she was doing. She was about to back away, embarrassed, when she found that he was returning the embrace. "Yes, I know you've been waiting forever," Link laughed.  
  
Zelda retreated, doing her best not to turn red. "Let's go!" Link said, motioning for her to follow him up to the throne room.  
  
King Zora hadn't budged. "Your majesty," Link said with an elegant bow, "if you would be so kind as to let us reach Zora's Fountain?"  
  
"Of course, my lad!" The king said grandly. "Excuse me for a moment." He began to inch his way to the left, making an odd sound every time he moved, and not covering much ground. After what seemed like forever, he had moved enough to reveal an opening that he had been hiding. "Do give my regards to Lord Jabu-Jabu. He has returned for the warm season!"  
  
"Of course, my liege," Link said with another bow, then led the way into the new entrance. Zelda curtseyed to the king, then caught up with Link.  
  
"That was different," she reflected. Link laughed.  
  
"He's a good guy, really, he's just a bit. . .large," said Zelda.  
  
"A bit?" Link asked. Zelda was about to scold him when they entered Zora's Fountain. It was like going into Zora's Domain all over again, only more so. Link was unfazed as usual, and walked out into the shallow water a little way. Zelda tried to follow as fast as she could while still looking around at everything, particularly the large whale, Jabu-Jabu.  
  
"Start with this," Link said, tossing Zelda a Deku Stick. "They're not terribly life-threatening." Zelda nodded. "There's not a whole lot to it, really. In the Hylian style of fighting, there are only three main maneuvers. The swipe"-he cut horizontally-"the slash"-he cut vertically- "and the thrust." He ran the stick straight forward. "You try it."  
  
Zelda attempted to re-create the movements that Link had just demonstrated. She thought that she was awfully clumsy, but Link seemed to be happy with what she was doing, so she kept it up. After a little bit, he stopped her.  
  
"You can take a short break," he said. "Eventually, you will need to learn to use a shield as well. Of course, in some forms of sword fighting, the blade may be used as a shield."  
  
"Which do you use?" Zelda wanted to know.  
  
"I'm trying to use my sword, but. . .well, I'm not very good at it yet." He smiled, a little sheepishly. "Enough break. You can't rest for too long or your muscles will grow stiff." She got up and began the drill again, and this time, Link practiced with her.  
  
Unbeknownst to either of them, Ruto was watching from a nearby rock beside Jabu-Jabu. She was also livid. How DARE he look at Zelda that way! No, then again, she mustn't be a jealous wife. So Ruto stayed where she was, biding her time, gazing down on the two of them. I'll get him back later, she thought. They certainly practice for a long time, she thought. Ruto couldn't imagine working so hard for so long. And the same drill the whole time.  
  
"That's enough for today," Link said finally, wiping sweat off his brow. "You did great."  
  
"Thanks," Zelda said. By the look in his eyes she could tell that he meant it.  
  
"You go on inside. I'll be along in a second," Link said. Zelda nodded and hurried off into the tunnel from whence they had come. Link, meanwhile, threw the stick down and drew out the Master Sword and went through the same drill. After he was done, he smiled. No matter how strong he got as time wore on, the Master Sword always managed to be exactly the right weight. Magic was so useful. He returned the weapon to its sheath and turned towards the tunnel-and right into the face of Ruto!  
  
"Hiyee!" She said in greeting as he stumbled back a few steps, from dislike as well as sheer shock.  
  
"Hi, again," he said. If there was anyone he wanted to be with less, he couldn't think of them right now.  
  
"Well, now THAT'S no way to greet your wife-to-be!" Ruto said with a pout.  
  
Link sighed heavily. "Look, Ruto, for the last time, I am not marrying you. I never was going to, and I never am!"  
  
"What a terrible thing to say. That's not funny, Link," the fish princess said, shaking her big head.  
  
Link gaped. She actually thought he was making a joke! "Ruto, I meant that-"  
  
"Never mind what you meant. Come on, let's go for a nice walk!" Ruto grabbed his hand and started off along the rim of Zora's Fountain, dragging Link behind. "But Ruto-!" he objected, but she wasn't listening.  
  
As all this happened, Zelda appeared at the end of the tunnel again. She had wondered where Link was when he hadn't showed up a minute ago, but she should have known! However, some of the comedy of the situation had been lost, so instead of laughing, Zelda held her head high and marched right towards them. All she needed now was an excuse. . .suddenly, her eyes were drawn to the southwest. The glint of light in the sky again!! It was over Gerudo Valley. Well, the warriors would be just fine protecting themselves for a little while, but they still ought to hurry. She started to walk faster. "Link!" She called when she was close enough for him to hear.  
  
Ruto left off her surely-pointless ramblings to turn and look at Zelda like she was an insect, the type that must be stepped on before they bite you. Link turned, too, but he looked at Zelda like she was a gift from Din. "What is it, Zelda?" He called back.  
  
"Look!" She pointed off into the sky.  
  
Link's face turned gleeful. "Sorry, Ruto, but I've got to go," he said breathlessly. "Another time, hm?" He turned and hurried off towards Zelda.  
  
Ruto crossed her finned arms and scowled after him. "I'll bet! You never loved me, did you, Link?!"  
  
Link stopped and turned to look at Ruto. "Honestly, Ruto, isn't that what I've been telling you all along?"  
  
"Oh!" The princess scoffed before turning and diving into the deep water. "GOOD RIDDANCE!" Came a rather bubbled retort.  
  
"I really am sorry, you know," Link told Zelda as they left the Fountain. "But I never promised her anything."  
  
"It's all right," Zelda said. "Let's get going to Gerudo Valley." 


	13. Matters at Hand

Getting back across the river proved slightly easier. Zelda took the risk of jumping as well as Link, and was actually very good it. As expected, Epona had hardly moved a hoof, and neighed welcome when she saw her people coming back.  
  
Link swung into the saddle first. "My lady," he said with a mock- proper tone, holding a hand for Zelda to climb up behind him. She laughed and did so, and he turned Epona around and urged her into a walk down the road that would take them to Gerudo Valley.  
  
"So you really are one of the Gerudo," Zelda said as they were riding.  
  
"Yes, I really am one of the Gerudo," Link replied.  
  
"When did you join?"  
  
"Not too long ago. Couple months back, maybe. It was before Ganon was defeated."  
  
"So there were two male Gerudo?"  
  
Link cocked his head in thought. "I guess that's right, isn't it? Wow. I made history!"  
  
Zelda smiled. "Link, you're the Hero of Time. You made history before you were born!"  
  
"This is true," he said. "Not that I wanted to, of course."  
  
"One can never tell what the goddesses might have in store for them."  
  
"I know. But why did they choose me? I'm just a peasant from the forest. And I'm not even from the forest! Goddess, I don't really fit in anywhere."  
  
"You could fit in with me," Zelda said. Link turned, interested, but the princess caught herself. "With us, at the palace."  
  
Link turned back around, a little bit deflated. "I guess."  
  
"You would make a great king. My father thinks so, and I agree."  
  
He smiled at her. "Thanks."  
  
"I really mean that, you know. You're great with people. I mean, you managed to get the Gerudo to like you!"  
  
Link laughed. "Actually, I nearly killed four of them. Then they shut up."  
  
"I guess that's one way in. . ." Zelda said thoughtfully.  
  
"Best way I know," Link said. Then he stopped Epona, looking over to his right. "Whoa, what's this?"  
  
Zelda followed his gaze to a wall in the Field. There were many such walls around, bearing testament to the ancient wars that once raged in Hyrule. At the foot of this one, however, a man was sitting, waiting, looking weary. Zelda climbed slowly down from Epona's back and walked slowly over to him and knelt down by his side. The man raised his head slowly to look up at the beautiful face of the princess. Recognition burst into his eyes, and he stood hurriedly and bowed. "M'lady!" he exclaimed with a thick accent. "How can I serve you?"  
  
"Never mind serving me," Zelda said. "Is anything wrong? Why are you just sitting here?"  
  
The man raised from his bow slowly. "It's just me horse," he said. "We were restin' up here, but a Keese showed up and spooked him. He's just a mite little colt, really. But I ain't got no idea where he could be."  
  
Link slid down off of Epona as well and came over. "Can we help you look?"  
  
The man's eyes widened again. "Great Nayru. . .if it ain't the Hero of Time himself! Mayhap this really is all just a dream. . .but then I'd have to be asleep a-saddle, and that's near impossible."  
  
"I'm sorry, sir, but I believe you're awake," Zelda said kindly. "You rest here. We'll go look for your horse. What's his name, so we can call him?"  
  
"Tidus," the man said. "Tidus is his name. He likes people, so you shouldn't have a lot o' trouble."  
  
"Thank you," Link said.  
  
"Why, great goddesses, lad, not at all! Thank you!"  
  
Link smiled, and he and Zelda went back to Epona. "Where do you think he could be?" Link asked.  
  
"I don't know. . .the road forks up there, so you take the left, and I'll take the right. We'll find him."  
  
Link grew concerned. "You're going to go alone? The sun will set soon. It's dangerous after dark! And with you being the princess-"  
  
Zelda was touched, but she held up a hand to stop him. "Look, I'll be fine. I can defend myself. I'm Sheik, remember?"  
  
"I guess that's true, but-well, at least take Epona," he insisted.  
  
She smiled and took the palomino's reins. "All right. But what about you?"  
  
"I don't mind walking."  
  
Zelda sighed, but it ended in a chuckle. "You are completely ridiculous. Well, come on then, Tidus is waiting."  
  
She mounted up onto Epona, and walked with Link until the fork in the road, where she turned right towards Lon Lon Ranch as he went left in the direction of Lake Hylia. I forgot to ask that man what color Tidus is, Link reflected. I guess he'll just have to respond to his name. And anyway, how many loose horses are roaming freely around Hyrule Field?  
  
Zelda, meanwhile, rode down the dusty dirt road towards Lon Lon Ranch. She looked around her. No sign of loose horses anywhere yet. Wait, here was something! Zelda bent in the saddle to examine U-shaped marks in the grass. Hoofprints! There was a trail going off to the left. It was barely visible, but it was there. Watching the ground carefully, she urged Epona off down the trail.  
  
The hoofprints led down to the river west of Hyrule Castle. By the wall of the city, a young blue roan horse, not possibly older than one, was standing and looking very scared-on the far side of the river. He was apparently too frightened to cross back, so all he could do was stand their and whinny helplessly in hopes of someone coming to find him. Well, Zelda had found him.  
  
She dismounted Epona near the bank of the river and approached slowly. The small horse backed a step. Zelda smiled and spoke to it softly: "You must be Tidus. Your owner is very worried about you," she told him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." She walked up further. "How did you come to be on that side of the river anyway? I suppose you must have just jumped from pure panic. You poor thing. Keese are spooky." Zelda had reached the bank now. She stretched a hand across. Tidus sniffed at it warily, then, slowly, allowed the princess to stroke his muzzle. She laughed softly. "I'm so glad you're cooperating."  
  
Link hugged the wall of Lon Lon Ranch, knowing that horses were drawn to it sometimes. He got all the way around, but nothing developed. With a sigh, he reached the top of the hill to the west of the ranch, where he had a good view of most everything. Oh, he thought, watching as Zelda spoke to the horse on the bank of the river. There he is. Zelda was laughing and stroking the horse's muzzle, then crossing the river and taking his reins. She certainly does have a way with animals, he thought. And...with people.  
  
Link was still watching. Zelda said something to Tidus and dropped his reins. Slowly, as if following directions, the colt walked back a few lengths, then burst into full gallop and hastily jumped the river. His hoofs firmly planted in the earth on the other side, he turned back towards Zelda and whinnied and reared triumphantly. Zelda laughed with joy. How in the world did she do that? Link wondered, puzzled.  
  
Zelda crossed the river back to where the two horses were standing. She climbed into Epona's saddle and took Tidus by the reins. "It's okay, I don't like to jump either," she said to the colt with a smile. "Come on, let's go find Link and get you back where you belong." Suddenly, Epona neighed in the direction of the hill where Link had been watching. "Oh! There he is," she said, waving for Link to come down, which he did, applauding her.  
  
"Simply amazing," he said to her as he approached. "You're simply amazing."  
  
"Why, thank you," she said, bowing in the saddle.  
  
"Seriously," Link said. "You should be a horse trainer."  
  
Zelda thought for a moment. "I would, if I wasn't going to be a queen. Come on, we should get going back to that man."  
  
Link, Zelda, Epona, and Tidus all four set off down the road that Zelda had taken in the first place.  
  
"Epona was a great help," Zelda told Link as they walked. "I think she reassured him. Maybe you should be the horse trainer."  
  
"Naw. Epona was just following your lead."  
  
"You think so?" They had reached the wall.  
  
"I do," he said, holding out a hand for Zelda to dismount, gazing into her eyes. "I really do." He was at a loss for other words.  
  
Just then the man came up behind Link. "Tidus!" He exclaimed, walking up to his horse. The colt muzzled his master's shoulder. "Where have ye been?"  
  
"We found him by the river," Zelda told the man over her shoulder.  
  
"How can I thank ye?" The man asked, shaking their hands incessantly. "What can I possibly do for the Princess Zelda and the Hero of Time?"  
  
"Don't think of it," Link said. "We're happy to be of service to you. I'll only ask you one thing: what's your name? I don't believe we know it."  
  
"Ay, I don't really use my name. Never liked it much," the man told them. "But, if ye ever need a favor, people call me KG. Don't be hesitant to look me up; this here colt means the world to me." He patted Tidus's neck.  
  
"Well, if that's all," Link said, "we should probably be going."  
  
Zelda's eyes widened. "Oh! Gerudo Valley! Come on, we should hurry!" She grabbed Link's hand and ran back towards Epona. "Farewell, sir-KG!" She said with a grin, mounting only after Link did. They followed the road to the west.  
  
"Fare thee well, princess and hero," the man said, mounting Tidus and going down the road in the opposite direction. 


	14. Falling

With Link and Zelda on her back, Epona galloped as fast as she could to Gerudo Valley to the west. It was well into the night by now, but none of the three of them cared. They absolutely had to get to the bottom of this mystery.  
  
Lather showing on her neck, Epona made her way over the dry, sandy area on the edge of Hyrule Field. Behind her finely-shod hooves clouds of dust arose. On her back, both the hero and the princess, still and unmoving but perfectly in tune with the horse, concentrated only on the night and the road ahead.  
  
Beating the sand-dirt, Epona galloped into Gerudo Valley. She crossed the half log bridge and made for the river, but they were stopped up by a Gerudo guard. "Who goes there?" The guard asked gruffly. She was beautiful, just like the rest of them.  
  
"I have papers," Link said, taking his membership card out and showing it to the guard.  
  
"There's one," she answered. "What about her?" She poked at Zelda with the butt of her pike. Thanks to the dark, the guard didn't recognize the princess.  
  
"She's with me!" Link said, exasperated. "Can we please get through?"  
  
"You can," the guard said. "But she has to stay here."  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts!" the guard interrupted. "These are the rules! No exceptions!"  
  
"Ceob!" Came a familiar voice behind the guard, speaking in a language neither Link nor Zelda understood. "Buqu! Gu auy pub mpuc clu auy esi bermop bu?"  
  
"What on earth is she saying?" Zelda wondered. Link shook his head in confusion.  
  
"Pu," the guard replied with a look of contempt. "Clu?"  
  
"Link!" The other woman raged. Link realized that she was Lenetu- the Gerudo who had given him his membership card. He waved. She held up a hand.  
  
The two Gerudo argued on for a little while longer. Link and Zelda tried to catch tidbits of their conversation, but even when they did it was in the Gerudo's language. Finally, the guard, very hesitantly, lowered her pike. "You may pass," she growled to Link and Zelda. Link said nothing, but let Epona walk through the iron-wrought gate. Lenetu greeted them on the other side.  
  
"I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "Come on. What can we do for you?"  
  
"Have you seen any monsters lately?" Zelda asked hurriedly.  
  
"No more than usual. Oh, and, have we met?" She looked at Zelda.  
  
"I'm Zelda," the princess replied.  
  
"Your highness, Zelda?" The Gerudo asked.  
  
"That's the one."  
  
"Well, I'm not saying anything, but keep your head down, okay? Just to be safe."  
  
"Thank you," Zelda said to the Gerudo.  
  
Lenetu nodded. Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the night from behind them! "What's that?" Link cried, spinning Epona. Lenetu shielded her eyes from the light.  
  
Over the river was descending a brilliant gold...triangle? "Cleb op bli cusrg.....?" The guard exclaimed from the bridge.  
  
It was an amazing thing to watch. The triangle descended slowly over the bridge and hovered. Its beauty was captivating for everyone who watched. Suddenly, the triangle seemed to shoot out an explosion of gold, and then it was gone, just a glimmer sitting over the valley and, rather, watching.  
  
Everyone's attention was suddenly brought back down to earth. There were Guays and Leevers everywhere! "Vuyp bli ehesn!" Lenetu shouted to a guard by the fortress entrance, who nodded and blew into a horn. A few seconds later more Gerudo guards began to pour into the valley. The battle began.  
  
Once again, it was a comparatively easy fight for Link and Zelda's part, which was fortunate because their minds were occupied with trying to figure out what in the world that triangle could have been.  
  
Suddenly, as she was distracted by a Leever, a Guay flew from nowhere out of the sky and hit Zelda full force. She was not hurt, but she was stumbling backwards too quickly, heading towards the dizzying cliffs over the river! She threw the upper half of her body forward in a desperate attempt to stay steady, but she only managed to throw herself more off balance. Finally, a few mere inches from the cliff wall, the princess caught herself and regained her footing, and only a second later the Leever came back and shoved her the rest of the way off.  
  
Link finished with a Guay just in time to see Zelda fall. Thinking quickly, he dropped his sword and ran towards the river, taking out his Longshot as he ran. Firing at the bridge, he dove off the side of the cliff after Zelda.  
  
Zelda was falling at a frighteningly fast pace. She was at such an angle as to be facing downward toward the water, and that only made her feel sick. She turned her head back up towards the surface and watched the cliffs speed away from her. Somehow, Zelda was not feeling all of the things that people felt at death; peace, for instance. She could only feel panic. She thought about it briefly, and decided she really only had one more wish for this world, and that was to tell Link how she loved him. She gathered her breath, and was about to shout when suddenly she was not falling anymore.  
  
Something hit her from the side and was sweeping her along with it. She turned to find out what it was, and found her vision quite full of a green tunic. Link! He had stuck the Longshot to the bridge over the valley and swung down on it to get her. Zelda was overcome. She turned in his arms and put her own around his neck, and rested her head against his chest. He said nothing, but held on to her tighter with his free hand.  
  
They landed on the side of the cliff again. The Leever, it appeared, had gone over after Zelda, and a Gerudo had picked off the Guay. There were no more monsters; the battle was finished.  
  
"I can hear your heart beating," Zelda whispered, wanting desperately to break the silence.  
  
"It's beating for you," he whispered back.  
  
Zelda stood back a step, looking into his eyes questioningly. He looked back into hers, deeply, his gaze penetrating her very soul. Suddenly, he took her by the shoulders, and just as she was starting to say that yes, she loved him too, she found her mouth quite covered by his. Link kissed Zelda, passionately, and she kissed him as well. Her arms moved up around his neck, and he wrapped her up tight in his warm embrace. There was nothing anymore, nothing but each other.  
  
Finally it ended, and they drew apart. It was Zelda who spoke first. "Thank you...for saving my life."  
  
"Please, don't thank me. It was as selfish as it was noble."  
  
"We can't do this," Zelda said softly, looking down at the ground. She looked up again. "Can we?"  
  
"Oh, but we must!" Link said. "If you don't live while you can, then you may as well not live at all."  
  
Zelda did not answer right away. "I love you," she quietly admitted, once and for all.  
  
"I love you, too," Link said. "And that's all that matters."  
  
Suddenly the valley was filled with the sound of applause. Little had Link and Zelda known, but the Gerudo were watching them the whole time, and now cheered for them. Link turned red, but Zelda laughed and kissed him again.  
  
Lenetu walked up to them, smiling broadly. "Come on, then, let's get back to the Fortress and rested up," she said, and led the way over the bridge. 


	15. The End of the Road

Lenetu led them over the bridge spanning Gerudo Valley and down the road to the fortress. "Wear this," she said, tossing Zelda a face mask. "Wouldn't want anyone discovering who you really are."  
  
Zelda nodded and tied the mask around her face. Not that she felt she needed special protection when Link was around.  
  
"Where's Epona?" Link asked Lenetu as they walked.  
  
"She has been taken up to the barn near the horseback archery range," the Gerudo replied. "None of our people have ever seen a horse of such color before. They are fascinated with her! So don't worry about it. She's probably just being spoiled."  
  
"Okay," Link laughed.  
  
They arrived at the fortress. "Come," Lenetu said, gesturing into a doorway. "We have much to talk about."  
  
She led them into a door set in the center of the fortress, up a ramp, down a hall, up another ramp, across several rooftops, a few more halls, in and out a few more doors, and after what felt like penetrating a maze, the three arrived at a hidden room with a table and three, um, seats around it. Actually, the seats looked like tree stumps, but when Link and Zelda sat down on them, they seemed remarkably comfortable. Once everyone was comfortable, Lenetu snapped her fingers; next moment, Gerudo guards had come back with glasses full of cool drinks. The most remarkable thing was, they all had ice floating in them.  
  
"How can you keep ice in the desert?" Zelda wondered.  
  
Lenetu took a sip before she answered. "Sand does amazing things to keep ice from melting."  
  
"So what are we waiting for?" Link asked after a moment or two.  
  
"Nabooru," Lenetu answered simply. "She's late." The Gerudo rose and left the way that they had come in to go stand on the outside balcony. Link and Zelda looked at each other uncertainly, then followed.  
  
"Nabooru!" Lenetu called. "Auy esi rebi!"  
  
"Deyhlb bseggod up bli cea cecm," Nabooru replied.  
  
"Op bli givisb?" Lenetu laughed.  
  
"Don't you just want to know what they're saying?" Link said to Zelda.  
  
"Yes," she agreed.  
  
Nabooru didn't bother to use the network of tunnels through the fortress. Instead, she chose to use her swords to cut into the wall of the structure and climb straight up that way. At the top, she picked up her twin scythes, put them in their scabbards, and stood straight. It was a figure that demanded respect. "Lady Sage?" Zelda said with a quick curtsey.  
  
"Take a look at that," Nabooru said. "The princess of Hyrule is curtseying to me. You seem to be under the impression that I'm a lady. Zowie. Get up, we've got a lot to talk about today." It's not that the Gerudo queen was rude; she just liked to get things done. Zelda complied and the four walked back into the chamber.  
  
Nabooru pulled up a crate for herself to sit on. "Now then," she said. "Welcome to Gerudo Valley. And now that that's out of the way, maybe you all can tell us something about this mysterious golden light?"  
  
"Not a lot, actually," Link said. "It's just that every time you see it over something in the sky, the next thing you know, that place is under attack from monsters, and if you don't get there in time to stop them, then...then it's bad." Zelda, who knew where his mind had drifted, took his hand under the table. He squeezed hers. "This is the first time we actually saw it up close."  
  
"What do you think it could have been?" Lenetu asked.  
  
Link hesitated before answering. "It kind of looked like a Triforce."  
  
"Impossible," Nabooru dismissed right away.  
  
"I know," he answered.  
  
"I don't know what else it could have been, if none of you do," Zelda said through her face mask. The lack of answers signified that no one did.  
  
"So do you just keep chasing it from place to place?" Nabooru asked.  
  
"There really isn't anything else we can do," Link said.  
  
"You could tell the castle."  
  
"The guards wouldn't follow a 'light in the sky.' They need something more hard-core," Zelda said.  
  
"Well, you can't keep following it forever."  
  
"Yeah, we know."  
  
"I think you ought to return to the castle anyway," Nabooru said.  
  
"We really can't go back until we're positive about what we're talking about," Zelda pointed out.  
  
"Well then, where do you think you can find out?" Lenetu asked.  
  
"No idea," Link said.  
  
"The castle libraries don't have records of anything like this, and they supposedly have everything," Zelda added.  
  
"Well then, my friends, you are up the river of sand without a paddle," Nabooru said.  
  
  
  
They talked over some other things as well; mostly matters of Hylian politics and popular culture. They finally departed for bed around 23:00. Link did not need a guide to show him around, since he already knew the way; however, Zelda was shown to her room by a guard. She thanked the guard and stood at the window. It faced into the west. Far, far off, across the white sands of the desert, she could see the mighty Desert Colossus rearing up above the dunes. Before this, she had seen the monument up close only in sketches, but there it was. Waiting for something with unconditional patience. There it would rest until the end of time, if need be.  
  
Suddenly, Zelda was shaken out of her thoughts by a light knocking on the doorframe. She turned quickly to see Link standing there, and breathed a sigh of relief. At Link's questioning look, she said, "I just thought you might have been a Gerudo who had found me here."  
  
He smiled. "You can probably take that face mask off now," he said. "It's really too dark to see anything. The Gerudo don't get a lot of light way out here."  
  
Zelda did so, and turned thoughtfully back to the window. "There are the stars."  
  
Link smiled. "There are always the stars."  
  
"Is that really the Desert Colossus, way back there?" She asked, pointing to the tall silhouette.  
  
"Yes, it really is," Link said, coming over to the window as well.  
  
"Right there...waiting," Zelda said dreamily. "I'd love to see it someday."  
  
"Then I," Link said, drawing himself up, "will just have to take you there."  
  
Zelda laughed for a moment. "You know, Link," she said finally. She didn't finish the sentence.  
  
"What?"  
  
Zelda hesitated. "What about Malon?"  
  
Link's gaze lost focus. "Don't worry," Link said. "I'll take care of it."  
  
"All right," Zelda said. She paused again. "But then what about Harlan? Look, Link, I love you, but-"  
  
"Shh," he held up a hand to stop her. "Don't think. Just feel. It has been my experience that things have a way of working themselves out."  
  
"I...I'm sorry."  
  
"And don't apologize," he said with a grin. He knelt and gave her a kiss on the hand. "Good night, my lady."  
  
"Good night," she replied, and watched as he strode out of the room. 


	16. Malon's Chapter

Link waited far, far into the night. He lay awake in his bed, trying to come up with something, trying to think of what to say. It wasn't that he wanted to break her heart. Not at all. It wasn't that he didn't like her. He just didn't love her.  
  
After an all-too-short period of time, the guards outside blew a horn. It was 1:00 a.m. Now or never.  
  
Link rose from bed. Quietly, so as not to disturb anyone, he crept out the stone door to the roof. Catlike, he leapt across several rooftops, running all the way to the wall before he stopped. He climbed down the vines on the far side and got onto the dirt path. Glad for the muffling of footsteps the earth provided, he made his way up the trail to the Archery Range.  
  
Hidden behind a low bluff on one side was a small but well-kempt barn. He went in and looked among the stalls. They were filled with swift mounts as beautiful as their owners. So Lenetu had been right; all of the Gerudo's desert horses were dun or darker. They never would have seen a palomino like Epona. Finally, he got all the way down to the end of the barn. In the very last stall, his mare stood, dozing. When she saw him, she whinnied hello.  
  
"Shh," Link said, placing a gentle hand on her muzzle. The horse nickered in apology. "We've got to hurry, there isn't much time. Now where did they put your saddle?"  
  
As if she understood (which she very well may have), Epona flicked her tail towards a door in the wall that Link hadn't seen earlier due to the dark. He opened it, wincing as it creaked, to find himself in a small tack room. It was filled mostly with the work of Gerudo craftsmanship; finely made, tassel-adorned costumes in rich colors. Among all of these, Epona's bulky Hylian-style saddle stuck out like a sore thumb. Link hefted it off the rack it was on and back to Epona's stall. She was patient as he placed it on her back and buckled the girth. Hylians did not use bridles, so he led her out with the sole use of a guiding hand on her neck. In the night, he mounted carefully and rode down the dirt trail into the valley.  
  
The guards took no notice of him as he passed; or, if they did, they said nothing. Link was glad. His mind was full as it was.  
  
He entered the field under the cover of dark. Zelda did not know he was out here. He would tell her in the morning, maybe; if all went well, and if he got back in time. Neither thing was for certain. He felt terrible about what he was doing, but he knew that if he didn't he would only feel worse later. There would be no other chance. Tonight was the night.  
  
On top of the hill in the center of Hyrule Field, the lights of Lon Lon Ranch shone out into the night. They never went off; instead, they had gotten a sort of reputation as being the guiding lights of travelers who were lost in the middle of the night. This evening, Link felt like they were two eyes, watching him evilly, checking his every move.  
  
Three times he thought about going back. Three times he did not. The sooner it was done, the sooner it would be over with. Link slowed Epona to a walk as they entered the yard of Lon Lon Ranch.  
  
One of Malon's clear blue eyes snapped open. Her lovely head lifted from the pillow. Those hoof beats... They sounded just like Epona's uneasy gait. She looked at the moon through her outside window. It couldn't be before 2:00. What on earth would Link be doing here? Perhaps she was hearing things.  
  
Even so, the ranch girl drew a blanket around her shoulders, pulled on her boots, and made her way down the stairs. The cuccos clucked at her for food, but she hushed them. Once she had gotten through them, she opened the door out into the dark.  
  
"Malon..." A familiar voice said.  
  
"Link?" She asked, squinting up at him. Yes, Link was most certainly there in the middle of the night. "What is it? Shall I make some tea or something?"  
  
Link hesitated. "Maybe it's best that you do," he answered finally. "...I have to talk to you."  
  
"All right," Malon said, leading him into the house. They went into the kitchen. Link sat down at the table while Malon set a kettle on to boil. They both said nothing as the tea brewed.  
  
When it was finished, Malon poured a cup for herself, and a cup for Link, and took them to the table. Link took a drink right away, not immediately registering the fact that it was steaming-hot. Malon looked at him from across the table. She did not like the tension in the air. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" She said.  
  
"Yes...yes," he answered. He took a long drink of tea. "You can't have any idea how hard this is for me-"  
  
"What-what is it?" Malon asked. Her bright eyes had grown concerned.  
  
"Malon..." He sat for a moment before answering. He drew a deep breath. He might as well just come out and say it. "I...don't love you."  
  
Any cheer that had remained in Malon's face left it. She could not have heard that correctly. "What?"  
  
"I came here to break off the engagement-"  
  
"No! Wait!" She interrupted. "This has to be a dream-this-this can't be real-"  
  
"It is," he said quietly. "And I am truly, terribly sorry."  
  
Malon drew in her breath sharply. She was silent for a moment. "It's all right."  
  
"Really?" Link asked, relieved.  
  
Malon forced a smile. "It'll be okay. I-I'll be okay. Just as long as you're happy."  
  
"Is there any way we could still be friends?"  
  
"Of course," Malon answered, still pretending to smile. "Of course."  
  
"I guess I should be on my way, then," Link said, rising from the table.  
  
"Bye," Malon said.  
  
Outside, Link mounted Epona. "She's upset," he told the horse in an undertone. They rode off into the night.  
  
Malon did not move from her place at the table for a long time. She could feel it; she was falling apart. Again. This wasn't the first time she'd had to pretend she was tough. And based on how her life had gone before this, it wouldn't be the last.  
  
She rose slowly from the table, set the dishes in the sink, and went outside. The moon and the stars shone bright tonight. She walked across the wide expanse of the corral to the shed on the far side, and sat down on a bale of hay. From where she was sitting, she could see the sky very well. It really was a lovely night. What a way for it to be wasted.  
  
This was the place where she sat. Her little roof over her own head. It was the place where she thought, the place where she cried, the place where she laughed, and now, it was the place where she loved Link too much. The place where she dreamed of a world where he'd understand her. She leaned back against the wall. She dreamed too much.  
  
Malon wondered briefly why Link had decided to...leave her. She hated that phrase. As for the reason, well...she supposed it was Zelda. Who or what else could have had that impact on him? How was she, little old Malon the rancher, supposed to compare with a princess? But she couldn't be angry at Zelda. It wasn't her fault. Zelda couldn't have known that Link had found her when she was falling apart. And now, he left her falling apart. He came and was gone again. Just like everything else. But this one...she really had wished that she could have been enough to him. But instead, she was crystal and see-through.  
  
The tint of the sky turned paler. The sun would be up soon, maybe in an hour. There would be work to do. Malon stood up. She was a little shaky on her feet, but soon she found her balance. A new day was coming. And by Din, she was going to make the most of it. 


	17. More Suprises

Link did not get back until close to 4:30. He put Epona back into her stable and quietly made his way back to the fortress. The route that he took went past Zelda's room, and he paused for a moment to look in on her. He felt so rotten for what he had just done, but when he saw her sleeping so peacefully, with the pale moonlight spilling into the room, he knew he had done the right thing, and went back to his room with a lighter heart.  
  
Exhausted, he fell into bed. And for the second time on the journey, he dreamed.  
  
It was Rauru again. Link supposed that Rauru represented wisdom, and that was why he was often the form in his dreams. Whatever the matter, they were both sitting at a long table on the opposite heads. Even though they were far from each other, each could hear the other clearly. Rauru said:  
  
"So what are you going to do next?" Rauru asked, not looking up from his toast. Even in the surreal world, he was still Rauru.  
  
"I'm not really sure," Link answered honestly. He did not eat; he wasn't hungry.  
  
"You can't go back to the castle. Not yet."  
  
"I know." Link sighed. "For more reasons than one."  
  
"You just had to fall in love with the princess."  
  
"Yep." He looked up. "But that's going to be fine. I...I feel it."  
  
"Well, I'm not one to tell you what the future holds. But, it is going to be okay. I'll say that."  
  
Link smiled. "I knew it!"  
  
Rauru's eyes turned grave for but a moment. Then he brightened again and said: "However, I think I may be able to help you with this...mysterious light."  
  
Link leaned forward a bit. "Really?"  
  
"Yes. There is an old woman named Aurelia who lives on the edge of Hyrule Field, north of Lake Hylia, beyond the forest. She may be able to help you."  
  
"Does she know...?"  
  
"She knows many things. A lot will be helpful to you."  
  
"Thank you," Link said.  
  
That was the end of the dream.  
  
When next he woke, the sun was shining through the square-cut window. Aurelia, beyond the forest north of Lake Hylia...he remembered the dream clearly. Could it be trusted? Well, he thought, getting up and going to the window, it's not like he had anything to lose.  
  
Outside, the sun was in the 9:00 position; good, he hadn't slept in too late. Down in the courtyard, it appeared that the Gerudo were teaching Zelda horseback archery. The princess was on one of the desert horse's back, riding swiftly. She managed to hit three bulls' eyes before she lost her grip and the arrow went several feet above the fourth one. She halted her horse and laughed. Link smiled too.  
  
With a stretch, he stepped away from the window and left his room. A Gerudo was waiting outside with some breakfast. Upon Link's questioning look, she said, "From the Lady Sage."  
  
Link nodded and thanked her. The woman scurried away down the stone corridor.  
  
The hero ate his food in his room before going off in search of people. When he got outside, Zelda was just getting off of her horse. She saw Link, smiled, and ran over. "They think I'm getting pretty good at this!" She said.  
  
Link laughed. "I knew you would."  
  
"So, what's up?" She asked, unstringing her bow.  
  
"I had a dream again," Link began.  
  
Zelda's eyes grew concerned. "Was Rauru there again? What's happened?"  
  
"He thinks he knows of someone who can help us with the whole light- in-the-sky thing," Link said.  
  
"Really? Who?"  
  
"Her name is Aurelia and she lives alone beyond the forest north of Lake Hylia. Rauru says she knows...something."  
  
"Let's go, then! We haven't got any time to lose!"  
  
"Epona's in the Gerudo's stables," Link said, leading the way up the sandy hill.  
  
The palomino mare was just where Link had left her last night, in the last stall by the tack room. He saddled the horse, and then they were off. They thanked the Gerudo as they went by them. The women waved goodbyes.  
  
The cool Field proved a welcome change from the heat of the desert. The road that they took was mostly hidden under a rock overhang anyway, so they were shaded from the noon sun as they made their way towards Lake Hylia. "There's the forest," Link said, pointing as the forest came into view.  
  
"Have you ever been in there before?" Zelda asked.  
  
"Once. I never went back after that."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"There was this really nasty Poe-"  
  
"A Poe? I'm sorry, Link, but-A POE?" Zelda giggled.  
  
"This was not your ordinary Poe!" Link insisted.  
  
"When was this?"  
  
"Umm...Oh yeah, I'd just arrived in the future. Hadn't even been to the Forest Temple yet."  
  
"Well, that explains a lot," Zelda said. "Now that you're the full- fledged Hero of Time, should be no big deal, right?"  
  
"They're still spooky," Link said with a shiver.  
  
"I'm sorry," Zelda apologized, fighting her laughter.  
  
"Yeah, well, you should be," he answered, kissing her cheek. They were approaching the tree line.  
  
The forest was a forest, and it wasn't; it was sort of an oversize grove, a clump of trees that grew too far apart to be a forest, but numbered too many to be anything else. The forest hid no animals but birds and rabbits and the occasional Keese. As for Poes, there hadn't been one seen in Hyrule Field since Ganon's defeat, so there was really no trouble as Link and Zelda made their way through the trees and shrubs.  
  
On the other side, around a hidden bend in the rock wall, a simple, wooden-walled house stood. Its only features were a cheerful chimney on the roof, and a fence around the sides of it, extending in the front for a sort of garden. In the garden, a familiar paint horse stood. "Odin?" Zelda wondered. "Odin!" After Link reined in Epona outside the gate, the princess jumped off and ran to greet her horse. He nickered and pressed his large head against her shoulder. "We missed you! Where have you been?"  
  
"Is he yours?" A voice from the door of the house asked. Zelda turned suddenly to see an old, but not ancient, woman standing on the stoop. "He's been here for several days. I told him he was welcome to stay as long as he liked, but he seems to be very happy to see you."  
  
"Yes, he is mine," Zelda said. "Thank you for taking care of him."  
  
"Are you Aurelia?" Link asked as he uncinched Epona's saddle.  
  
The old woman smiled warmly. "I am. Your horse can stay too, as long as she likes. Why don't you both come inside?" Aurelia said, beckoning. "Then you can tell me why you have come here."  
  
Link turned Epona loose in the garden, and he and Zelda went inside. They sat at a low wooden table while Aurelia made some cider. "I never liked tea much," she explained.  
  
Over her shoulder, Aurelia kept looking at Link, as if she was trying to figure something out. "What is it?" The hero asked.  
  
"You're Link, aren't you?" Aurelia asked, more of a statement than a question.  
  
"Yeah," he said. "Why?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing, really," she said with a smile. "It's just-well, you look just like your mother!"  
  
"What?" Link whispered, as his mouth fell open in shock. 


	18. Faerie Food

"Yes," Aurelia said, sitting down and taking a drink of her own cider. "She was like a daughter to me. Haven't seen her in years, though...How is she?"  
  
"She's dead," Link said. "She died long before I could remember. I would have thought I was a Kokiri but for the Deku Tree Sprout telling me otherwise."  
  
Aurelia's eyes widened. "Oh my.....I'm so sorry!"  
  
"Don't think of it," Link said. "Actually, I'm kind of curious-what was she like?"  
  
"She was very beautiful," the old woman said. "In many ways. She was just a commoner, like myself, but she seemed to have this rather magical quality about her. She and your father-one of the best men I ever knew-lived around this area, but in the great war, she fled. Your father had to fight, but she insisted on taking you with her. I had never heard from her again."  
  
"She fled to the forest," Link said, filling in the rest of the tale. "She was dying, so she entrusted the Great Deku Tree with me. She passed away before I could even remember, and I grew up thinking I was a Kokiri."  
  
"I can only imagine the reality shock when you came out of the Sacred Realm after seven years."  
  
"It was pretty intense," Link confirmed. "You seem to know so much about me. How?"  
  
"I know about a lot of things," Aurelia said with a knowing smile. "I have a feeling that's why you came here."  
  
"We were compelled," Zelda said.  
  
"Really?" The old woman said, her eyes widening with curiosity. "By what?"  
  
"Dreams," Link said. "I was told by a dream to come here, and, well, we had nothing to lose."  
  
"I see," she replied. "And what sort of information might you be in search of?"  
  
"For many days past," Zelda began, "there has been a mysterious light in the sky. Everywhere it goes, it awakens monsters. It's kind of triangular-shaped. That's really all we know."  
  
Aurelia's eyes turned puzzled with thought, then grave with discovery. "Of course," she said, getting up hastily and hurrying over to a bookcase. "Of course. Why on Farore's green earth didn't I think of this sooner? It should have been so obvious..."  
  
"What's the matter?" Link asked.  
  
"Just a minute...my goodness, sometimes I can't believe myself, I really can't." From the very bottom of the bookcase, Aurelia took an old, dusty book off the shelf; the sort that used ancient words and capitalized things in seemingly odd places. She blew the dust off (right into Link and Zelda's faces, much to their disapproval) and placed the book on the table. She gazed down at it proudly.  
  
"What's that?" Link asked.  
  
"The Book of Mudora," Aurelia said. "It contains all the knowledge of the history of Hyrule, you know."  
  
"The Book of Mudora?" Zelda wondered. "I thought that was just an old legend..."  
  
"Most certainly not," the old woman told them. "It's very real, and right now, it's very useful." She opened the Book and flipped several pages through it. Link and Zelda caught chapter titles such as "The Beginning," "The Rise of the Three Goddesses," and "The Golden Age." Toward the back of the book, the titles took on names such as "The Deku Tree" and "The Desert King's Mistake." Some of the chapters were called "The Princess of Destiny" and "The Boy Without a Fairy" and "The Master Sword."  
  
"Look, it's us," Link said as these chapters passed.  
  
"The Book is a funny thing," Aurelia commented as she searched. "It adds chapters as it needs them to itself. It's a very magical object...ah, here it is," she said, her eyes settling on a page marked "The Corruption of Glory." She scanned it quickly, just to make sure it was the right one.  
  
"Here," she said, turning the book so that it faced Link and Zelda. "Read down from...here." She pointed.  
  
Their eyes passed slowly over the page, trying to take in everything they were seeing. This is what it said:  
  
After the Three left Hyrule, from the Powers of the Triforce itself was born a Fourth Force. This was the Triforce of Ambition, and its Purpose was to support the Other Three. Without Ambition, there is No Need for Power, Wisdom, or Courage; so sayeth the Three. This is the Reason that they laid the Foundation for the Realization of the Fourth Force. However, before too long it became obvious that the Fourth Force possessed a Corrupt Quality that drove the People of Hyrule into becoming the Minions of Evil. Thus, the Fourth Triforce fell away, but not completely. It still was in Existence, but it was Lesser. However, there was a Line of Heirs for It, and when Ganondorf touched the Triforce 500 years later, the Fourth Force split, just like the Others. Most unfortunately, the Line of Heirs were but Commoners, and had been Killed in the Great War, so there was no Person for the Fourth Force to bond with. In Spite Of, or perhaps Because Of this, the Keepers of Power, Wisdom, and Courage were still able to Abolish the Evil from Hyrule.  
  
"And, that's where we are today," Aurelia said as Link and Zelda looked up.  
  
"What did it mean, 'in spite of, or perhaps because of?'" The princess asked.  
  
"It's fairly simple," the old woman answered. "Ambition can very easily become corruption. Thus, it may or may not have hindered you in your quest. It doesn't matter now, because Ganon is finished anyway."  
  
"So we really have been chasing a Triforce this whole time," Link said, his eyes calculating.  
  
"That's about the size of it," Aurelia said. "Now, I most certainly don't know, but my guess is that the power radiating from this Triforce is what has been causing all those monsters to show up."  
  
"Of course...of course, it all makes sense!" Zelda cried. "Yes, it all fits! Link, we can go to the castle now!"  
  
"Yes, but I do have one other question before we go: it says that Power, Wisdom, and Courage were able to TOGETHER defeat evil. But Ganondorf-the evil, I assume-was, and is, still holding the Triforce of Power."  
  
"The Triforce is a funny thing," Aurelia said. "It helped him, but it also destroyed him. You remember how Hyrule was when he was in power. Eventually, the whole nation would have imploded. Thankfully, you came along and saved it, and its people. But, a small percent-VERY small, I must stress-was Ganon's own doing."  
  
"I understand," Link said.  
  
"It's getting late. Why don't you two stay overnight?" Aurelia said.  
  
"We wouldn't want to trouble you..." Zelda said slowly.  
  
"Not at all! It would be my honor."  
  
"Well, I never say no to a free meal," Link said, giving Zelda a sidelong glance.  
  
"All right," she said with a smile. "Thank you very much. We'd be happy to."  
  
  
  
Aurelia seemed proud to show off her cooking skills as she made them dinner, and she deserved her pride; the meal was delicious. Afterwards, the three of them went out to a hill in the backyard to watch the sunset, which was spectacular. The odd thing about Aurelia's house was, the doors always seemed to lead exactly where she wanted them to. It seemed to Link and Zelda that her house boasted only a few doors, but there were a great many rooms. It didn't really seem out of the ordinary here, though. Another unusual thing they had found (and nearly tripped over) was a little bit of bread set out on the back porch. When they questioned Aurelia about it, she had smiled and said, "It's faerie food. There are many different realities, as I'm sure you know, and Hylians only exist in a few of them. In others, there are faeries outside the forest." Sure enough, the faerie food had gone by the following morning. This was a very magical place, it seemed, and both the hero and the princess felt quite content.  
  
The sunset that evening was gorgeous off of the hillside. Hyrule's past transformation really was amazing. Aurelia sat with them for a little while, but soon excused herself, saying: "I probably ought to take care of those dishes; they don't clean themselves, you know. Well, they might, with some enchantments, but...well, I'll just do them manually for now."  
  
"But what about this sunset?" Link asked, gesturing off into the brilliant sky.  
  
Aurelia smiled. "I have seen it many times. You two should just enjoy it...together." And with that she disappeared back off into the house.  
  
"So, tomorrow is Hyrule Castle, then," Link said quietly.  
  
Zelda nodded. "And Harlan won't be dealt with quite so easily as Malon."  
  
"How did you know about Malon?"  
  
"I just know you too well," Zelda said with a smile.  
  
Link smiled too, but after a second it lost its joy. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"I don't know," Zelda said. "I just don't know."  
  
They sat in silence for a moment. "Are you going to take up my father on his offer?" Zelda asked.  
  
Link paused, then nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am."  
  
Zelda smiled famously. "That will make a lot of people very happy.." Her smile faded a little. "Even if we can't be..."  
  
"Look, Zelda," Link said, turning to her, "no matter what happens, I'm going to love you. That's painfully obvious." He smiled a little at his remark. "So, even if I can't be with you, you'll still always have me to turn to. If Calatia gets into a war, then I will send every one of Hyrule's armies to protect you. I promise."  
  
"I know you will," she said, her eyes shining with held-back tears. "Let's just have tonight to ourselves. We will go and face them in the morning, but right now...there's no one I'd rather be seeing this with than you."  
  
He put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, and there they sat until the last traces of red glow had disappeared from the sky. 


	19. In the Capital of Hyrule

The following morning, Link and Zelda were up before dawn. Silently, so as not to awaken Aurelia, they prepared to leave. Zelda had found Odin's saddle the night before; it was cleaned and polished expertly, and the princess was thankful for it. The horses seemed to notice the feeling of gloom in the air, and cooperated well with their riders. By the time the first rays of the fair sun had appeared over the eastern horizon, the four of them were all ready to go.  
  
Aurelia watched from her bedroom window as they set off. She had packed their saddlebags (which had been dwindling of supplies by this point in the journey) with some food for their trip today. She felt so terrible for them. It was obvious, at least to her, that they must have been in love; and now she knew how the story had to end. What a world.  
  
In the sense of time, it would be a long trip to the castle, but to Link and Zelda, it felt entirely too short. They rode side by side the whole way, stopping only once for the noon meal. No later than 14:00 that afternoon, the white towers of Hyrule Castle appeared over the crest of a hill.  
  
Link and Zelda halted their horses at the top of the hill. Silently, they looked at each other. He took her hand, and they stayed like that for a moment before moving on to the lowered drawbridge.  
  
The bridge guard saw them crossing. Excited, he carefully climbed down the network of chains and gears to the way house to tell the guard on duty there, and slowly, guard by guard, the message spread to the castle. The energy filled the air, and before too long, the entire market was alive with chatter. Everyone knew something was happening, something, but no one knew what! Suddenly, there was a hush, and all eyes were trained on the front gate as two horses, a palomino and a paint, entered the market square, and on their backs two riders: the Princess Zelda and the Hero of Time.  
  
The chatter started up again, now louder than ever. The people were talking to each other and keeping their eyes on Link and Zelda at the same time.  
  
The Princess and the Hero, however, were completely separated from the buzzing cheer all around them. To them, things were happening in slow motion; they could not take their eyes off each other, even though they tried, simply because they were the only wallflowers at the apparent party that was going on around them.  
  
Suddenly, the spell broke.  
  
"Zelda!" A voice called from the castle boulevard. The princess's head snapped around to look.  
  
A party was coming down the boulevard. The King was there, smiling broadly, and both Queens. A great deal of courtiers, bards, and minor royalty came as well; but in the front, mounted on a tall, bay stallion, was Prince Harlan. He was the one that had called to Zelda.  
  
The princess looked sadly at Link one last time, then turned to the forthcoming party, put on her best royal smile, and said, "Harlan! Father! Mother! It's so wonderful to see you." She embraced the Prince as he brought his horse up beside hers.  
  
"We're all so glad that you're safe," Harlan said, holding her hands. "Come on! We have a lot of news to catch you up on!" He beckoned for Zelda to climb onto the back of his horse, and she had no choice but to obey. "Good to see you, Link," Harlan said with a sincere smile before he turned his bay around and headed back towards the castle. Zelda looked back at Link helplessly and mouthed "I love you" before she and Harlan disappeared up the boulevard.  
  
Link watched her go. Presently, he picked up Odin's reins. The horse was whinnying after his mistress. Link felt like calling to her himself.  
  
"Link!" King Harkinian said jovially, coming up to Link and giving him a friendly slap on the back, thus shaking him out of his daze. "Oh, hello, your majesty," Link said.  
  
"You can't know how worried we've been about you two," the King said. "We-well, to be quite honest, we thought you'd been killed by the Moblins! Imagine our surprise to hear from the guards not five minutes ago that you were coming up the drawbridge!"  
  
Link put on a fake smile, just like Zelda's. "Us? Killed by Moblins? Don't be ridiculous!"  
  
The King laughed. "No, I suppose not. Well, you've certainly had plenty of time to mull over my offer...what have you decided?"  
  
"I think..." Link looked off towards the castle reflectively. "I think," he said as the party began to move back towards the castle, "I'm going to take you up on it."  
  
"Wonderful! Simply wonderful. You will have to learn diplomacy, of course-"  
  
"You majesty?" Link asked.  
  
"Yes, my boy?" The King said.  
  
"Could I learn from Zelda? She has told me all about it..." He trailed off, looking at the King hopefully.  
  
"You know what?" The King said. "I think that's a grand idea."  
  
"Thank you, your majesty," Link said.  
  
"But of course. So, you will be staying here at the palace. Your coronation should be in a few weeks. Come, I would like to show you personally to your suite of rooms." And with that, the whole group headed off up the boulevard towards the castle.  
  
  
  
The first order of business at the palace was to get everyone settled in. Link's "suite of rooms" turned out to be five joined chambers; a bedroom, a sitting room, a dressing room, a study, a library, and off the library, a balcony overlooking a small garden. The hero felt very small in the big palace, but the King assured him that he'd get used to it in time. Several hours after they had arrived, dinner was announced in the great hall. Link was very relieved that it wasn't another banquet, and he could come in freely. He slid cautiously into a seat between the King and Zelda.  
  
"How do you live here?" He asked the princess in an undertone.  
  
"Lost?"  
  
"Just a little bit."  
  
She giggled. "Don't worry, you'll settle in."  
  
"I certainly hope so," he said. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you-"  
  
Just then, he was cut off as the King stood and called for attention. "Now," he said. "There are several announcements that must be made tonight. First and foremost: as you will recall, at the banquet where Link was to accept or reject becoming my heir, his response was cut off due to circumstances beyond our control. However, today, he has told me himself that he accepts!" The great hall was filled with polite applause. "Now that that is taken care of, there are several things we must update on: pertaining to Zelda, much to our unhappiness, our lady Queen Larina has fallen ill. This means that your wedding to Harlan will be in six days' time in order to allow you both to rule as soon as possible. And also, Zelda, as you know, Link must learn the proper etiquette to be King, and I have deemed that you would be the best one to teach him. And now, I believe that is all." The King sat, and the people began to eat.  
  
"Is that what you were about to tell me?" Zelda asked.  
  
"Yes," Link said. "If you don't mind, of course-"  
  
"I don't mind," she said with a smile.  
  
"You know something?" Link asked. "This food really isn't that bad."  
  
The princess laughed softly. "Isn't that what I said?"  
  
After dinner, the people were leaving the great hall when the King stopped Zelda. "My daughter," he said, "Harlan has requested your presence tonight for a special dessert. He wants to catch up with you; you can't imagine how he's missed you."  
  
"Of course, Father," Zelda said. "What time will he be expecting me?"  
  
"20:00," the King told her.  
  
"Thank you," she said. "I...I wouldn't miss it."  
  
"In the meantime," the King said, "why don't you go find Link and start teaching him that etiquette?"  
  
The princess couldn't help but smile. "I'll do that." With that, she departed off down the long white stone corridors towards Link's rooms.  
  
The hero was in the library, looking through the rows of books when he heard a polite knock on the door. He turned and went over to the door, opening it slowly.  
  
Zelda came in and sat down on the bed, burying her face in her hands. Link closed the door behind her. "Are you all right?" He asked, sitting down beside her.  
  
She picked her head up. "Yes...yes."  
  
He looked at her for a moment. "No, you're not."  
  
She did not try to argue with him. "I have to go to Harlan tonight," she said.  
  
"It's all right..."  
  
She looked at him. "You mustn't get jealous."  
  
"I won't."  
  
Zelda smiled. "I know." She got up and made her way to the balcony. "You have a lovely view here."  
  
"I like it," Link said, coming over as well. Then he noticed someone moving in the window on the other side of the garden. It was Harlan! "A room with a view," he muttered.  
  
"Please don't be angry with Harlan," she said. "He never did anything wrong...he only wants the best for me. He's a good sort, really he is."  
  
Link sighed. "I'll try. But only because you told me to."  
  
"Thanks," Zelda said with a smile. "Now, I believe I was supposed to teach you some etiquette?"  
  
"Oh yeah, what's that about?"  
  
"You'll catch on," she told him, and they retreated back into Link's apartments.  
  
  
  
Before too long, 20:00 rolled around. With a last, faint smile at Link, Zelda departed to Harlan's room. Link sat down in the sitting room, and began to wait.  
  
Zelda walked slowly down the long stone corridor to the prince's chambers. She did not want Link to hate Harlan. She also knew that it was inevitable. The princess arrived at the tall wooden door and knocked. Her knock was promptly answered by the prince, who was smiling. She smiled too.  
  
"This way, my lady," he said, leading her to his own sitting room, where a table was laid out with various dessert items. The princess sat at one end, and the prince at the other. He raised his glass in toast, and she followed suit.  
  
On the other side of the garden, Link did his best to keep from running to the balcony and watching. No, he thought time and again. It wasn't possible that she had been...lying...was it? No, of course not. These were dangerous thoughts.  
  
"Did you enjoy your journey?" Harlan asked.  
  
Zelda nodded. "We know what brought the Moblins here."  
  
"Really?" He asked. "Well, what was it?"  
  
"It was a Triforce, a fourth Triforce."  
  
Link knew he was being ridiculous. He settled into bed, and tried to get to sleep early, but that didn't help at all. It wasn't like she wouldn't have had a reason to lie...the whole King thing...but no. She wouldn't have had to go that far. He was being an idiot.  
  
"Have you told the castle yet?" Harlan wanted to know, taking a drink of water.  
  
"I think I'll tell father tomorrow," Zelda said.  
  
Link told himself to shut up and closed his eyes. Sleep did not come, but he did not move. It wasn't worth moving.  
  
"It's getting late," Zelda said.  
  
"Would you like to go?"  
  
There was the door. Link was just about twenty feet from the door-  
  
"Good night, Harlan," Zelda said, getting up.  
  
"Good night, Zel," he said.  
  
"Please don't call me that."  
  
"I'm sorry. I just thought it would be a good nickname, but if you don't like it, then I'll forget it."  
  
"Thank you," she said, and turned for the door.  
  
Out in the corridors, she closed the door behind her, and turned around into the darkness. It was only about 22:00, so she ran straight to Link's rooms.  
  
He heard knocking, but did not answer the door right away. The knocking did not stop, so he climbed slowly out of bed and answered the door. Zelda burst forth and fell into his arms.  
  
"I just needed to see you," she whispered.  
  
"I understand," he said, thanking all three goddesses that he had stayed put. 


	20. A Higher Force

The following morning, Link was standing by his window looking out over the lawn of the castle. He had gone to the King earlier and told him everything that he and Zelda had learned from Aurelia, and now his majesty was dispatching troops. Apparently an astronomer had seen a familiar glint of gold in the sky hanging over Death Mountain the previous night; the troops were going to Goron City.  
  
There was a knock on Link's door.  
  
"Come in," he said.  
  
A page opened the door a crack and peeked in. "The tailor is after ya, sir," he said. "Somethin' about a weddin' costume."  
  
Link thanked the page and tossed him a coin. He rushed out the door and set off towards the tailor's.  
  
"There y'are," the tailor said when Link entered. She was an old seamstress, and the work she did was gorgeous. The hero stood up on the pedestal and the tailor took his measurements.  
  
"So, have ye met Princess Ayara yet?" The old woman asked.  
  
"No, who's that?"  
  
"Lady from Bespar who's to be marryin' ye!"  
  
Link's breath caught in his throat.  
  
"We're expecting her arrival in six days."  
  
"I see," Link said.  
  
"Well, ye're all done!" The tailor said, rolling up her tape measure. "Off with ye."  
  
"Thank you," Link said, and left the room in a hurry. He went straight to Zelda's room and knocked loudly.  
  
She opened the door. "Etiquette?" She asked, letting him in.  
  
He sat down in a chair. "...We've got to end it."  
  
"What are you talking about?" She asked, sitting down beside him.  
  
"In six days," Link began, "there's a princess coming to meet me from Bespar. Princess Ayara of Bespar is to be the Queen of Hyrule-my wife..."  
  
"Oh..." Zelda's eyes grew distant.  
  
"There's no way we can do this. We've got to end it..."  
  
Link turned to look at her, but he said nothing. Zelda glanced at him, then looked away; and then she rose from her chair and left. After a little while, Link departed the room as well. He hated himself indescribably for what he had just done.  
  
  
  
Far off, in a distant wing of the castle, high in a tower, Rauru himself was leafing through books in the library. King Harkinian had assigned him to look up information on the situation they currently found themselves in, but how on earth could they defeat a Triforce? There had to be something here...  
  
And yet, there so apparentley wasn't. Triforce monsters...Triforce prophecies...Triforce bearers...heck, it didn't even say anything about a Fourth Force. Maybe the libraries were out of date.  
  
He stayed up there for several hours at least, trying book after book after book, but nothing at all helped. He finished one stack and took a breather before trying another. At this rate, it seemed like the only way would be to turn back time to keep Ganondorf from ever even touching the Triforce in the first place!  
  
  
  
In her room, Princess Zelda sat in the window for a long time. From where she was sitting, she had quite a spectacular view of Hyrule Field. She could see her father's troops moving towards Death Mountain. It reminded her of that fateful banquet that felt like so long ago.  
  
If Link hadn't insisted on going after the Moblins in the first place, then none of this would have happened. Damned noble bastard, she thought sadly. And yet somehow she loved him, more than anything. What kind of game were the Goddesses playing? This wasn't funny. She left the window.  
  
And then it dawned on her: maybe there WAS a way. What had her father said three days before the banquet? The words echoed in her mind.  
  
It was a crazy idea, she knew, but nonetheless Zelda began to make her way through the castle halls to the throne room where the King was reading over a document. He lowered the paper when he heard the princess enter. "Zelda!" he said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Father," she said slowly. "I know how dearly you would like for me to inherit the throne and be Queen of Hyrule..."  
  
"Well, in a perfect world, yes," he answered, giving her a confused look.  
  
"Hear me out," she said. "Calatia has no relationship with Bespar at all."  
  
"Yes, neither do we."  
  
"No, but we have an excellent relationship with Calatia."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Zelda took a deep breath. "What if Princess Ayara were to marry Harlan instead of Link?"  
  
She paused, but her father did not say anything, so she went on.  
  
"And then, I could marry Link and be Queen of Hyrule, just as you wanted. Harlan and I are best friends, so I'm sure that our relationship with Bespar would grow ideally." She held her breath and waited patiently for her father's answer. The entire throne room was listening intently now.  
  
King Harkinian looked long and hard into Zelda's eyes. Her reasons were all credible, but she wanted to marry for love. She always had. It was so obvious to him: his daughter had fallen in love with the Hero of Time, his heir. And...she WOULD make a good queen.  
  
"Well," he said finally, "I see no reason why that couldn't work. If all involved parties agree-keep in mind that that may be a slim chance. But, you have my approval," he told her with a smile.  
  
"And mine." Queen Larina had been standing in the doorway. She now stepped into the room. "With all due respect, we may need to be allied with Bespar. Their natural resources are some of the most healthy in the world."  
  
"That is a two thirds majority," King Harkinian commented. "Impossible to beat in matters of such politics. In fact," he rose from his chair, "It's a definite."  
  
Zelda's face broke into the smile she was famous for. Her father embraced her warmly, and she him. "Go on, then," he told her. "I'm sure there's a lot of people you'd like to tell, hm?" The King retreated to his throne, smiling himself, and picked up his paper.  
  
"What are you looking at?" The Queen asked.  
  
"Hm? Oh, something Rauru dug up in the library," he said. "Some sort of spell." 


	21. Preparations are Made

Link sat quietly on his balcony, his head tilted back, staring up into the sky. There were no clouds today. The sun was shining bright in the pale blue void far, far above. At least it would bring joy to someone in Hyrule, the hero was thinking. Somewhere. He still hated himself. He was alone, utterly alone, yet he could hardly breathe. He groaned and closed his eyes. Maybe if he could fall asleep, he could still be with her in his dreams. Even though he wasn't in the least bit tired.  
  
Suddenly, from inside he heard a loud knocking on his door and he was shaken out of his daze. Absently, he rose from his chair and walked inside to the door and opened it slowly. "Zelda?" He asked, surprised to see the princess on the other side. And what was more, she was....grinning?  
  
"Link!" She said, and threw her arms around his neck. Before he could think he was kissing her and he was alive again. As long as he had her in his arms...  
  
It ended, and Link came back down to earth. "Zelda, the door's open...." he said. "Someone might have seen--"  
  
"Let them!" she said, holding his hands and beaming up at him.  
  
"What are you talking about?" He asked, looking at her questioningly.  
  
"I just went to see my father," she began. "And--and he said--"  
  
"What?"  
  
She took a deep breath. "I'm not marrying Harlan anymore...."  
  
"You're not?"  
  
"And you're not marrying Ayara anymore--"  
  
"I'm not...?" Link spoke slowly as it started to dawn on him.  
  
"Everything(s been rearranged! We(re getting married!"  
  
Link was stunned for a second. Was it really true? ...He wasn't dreaming? Well, if it was a dream, he didn't want to wake up! He laughed and wrapped the princess--HIS princess--up in his arms. It was like he had been all but dead, and now the breath of life was slowly returning.  
  
"Let's go tell Impa," Zelda said, taking his hand and leading him out into the hallway.  
  
  
  
Prince Harlan of Calatia strode down the hallway, his mind a mass of thoughts. He was on his way to the throne room. The King had requested his presence for an announcement, and he was curious as to what it could possibly be.  
  
The prince entered the throne room. It was a lovely room, a mass of purple and gold arranged around the room's namesakes, the two tall thrones at the head of the room. A long red carpet flanked by guards paved the way to the great chairs themselves. Harlan began to slowly walk its length.  
  
The King saw him and arose. "Harlan, my boy! Welcome."  
  
"Sire," Harlan said, his tone even. "You asked for me, and I am here."  
  
"There have been many discussions since I saw you last," the King said.  
  
Harlan stood still and listened.  
  
"Surely you have met Princess Ayara of Bespar?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you like her?"  
  
"She seemed to be a pleasant person, why?"  
  
"To be frank, she is to be your wife."  
  
That struck Harlan like a thousand-volt wire. "What?"  
  
"Everything has been rearranged. Zelda will not be your Queen as previously planned. Ayara is. She will create strong bonds between Calatia and Bespar, we're certain." The King smiled warmly.  
  
"And what of Zelda?" Harlan asked blankly. This couldn't be happening to him..  
  
"Zelda?" The King asked, as if it were an afterthought. "She's to marry Link!"  
  
That struck Harlan like a two thousand-volt wire. But he hid his shock. Everyone else was so happy. He would not be the only wallflower at this party. "Thank you...your majesty." He used the King's title without thinking, even though he hadn't called Harkinian that in years, and left as quickly as was possible though still maintaining dignity.  
  
Harlan went out to the garden underneath his window. Did Zelda love Link? Did she even like him? What a silly question. He was a fool to have not seen it before. Of course she loved him, because he was handsome and brave and clever and kind. And what was he? Just Harlan. That was all.  
  
He was her best friend. He had to be supportive of her. If she really, truly, loved Link, then she would be happy. He smiled, or at least tried.  
  
She would be happy....  
  
  
  
Rauru was still in the library. But now, he was not searching through many books; no, he was sitting on the high tower's window, looking out over the castle stable yard. Link and Zelda were taking out their respective horses to go for a ride. Ahh...the joy of love....  
  
Suddenly Rauru's attention was turned back to the goings-on inside the tower. One of the pages he had recruited to help him read had gasped rather dramatically. The light sage got up from his perch on the window and walked over. "What's the matter?" He asked.  
  
"Your grace...look at this...." The boy pointed to a paragraph and looked up at Rauru earnestly.  
  
Rauru read. Within a few moments the expression on his face matched that of the boy's. In another moment the severity of the look easily doubled the page's. "Are you sure this is the only way?" Rauru asked.  
  
"Not positive, your grace," the page said, "but this would certainly work. And we'e only just a bit of the library still remaining to search through before we're finished." "h my goddesses," Rauru said. He took a deep breath, and then another. His gaze turned slowly to the window. The sounds of laughter wafted up from the stable yard. The sage became indescribably sad.  
  
  
  
It was no small or easy task to get the palace ready for the forthcoming celebrations. For one thing, Princess Ayara's welcome was up barely in time for her arrival. As for the princess herself, she was as Harlan had said; kind enough. She (and her parents, of course) had been informed of the shift in wedding plans, and they were very gracious about the whole matter, especially after an alignment with Hyrule was promised. Princess Ayara herself seemed quite willing to marry Harlan, though, and she told no one this, she would rather have married Link. Just the same Harlan had not quite gotten over Zelda yet, but Hyrule's princess and hero were happy enough for everyone, and the mood seemed to infect the whole castle with an underlying excitement.  
  
The actual ceremonies were to take place in the castle's Great Hall. Both couples had to rehearse a lot of where they were to move during the respective weddings. One couple would enter down the Grand Staircase and make their way to an altar, where the priest of the Temple of Time would read very old marriage texts before draping one cape over both of them and tying the scarlet ribbon in front. Then they would wait while the other couple did the same thing, and then it was done, and all that would be left would be to actually get settled into their castles. Once all four of them had gotten it perfect, there was no more rehearsal, and there was nothing left but to wait for the actual day.  
  
Before that day, however, Rauru still had to talk to the King. Time was running fatally short for what the sage had to say. 


	22. Come What May

Zelda awoke that morning with the sun on her face. She thought she had heard rain during the night, but, she discovered as she stood by the window, the skies were clear now. In fact, the lights of the rainbow were shining. Where had she heard that before?  
  
"The lights of the rainbow shone on their wedding day, and they lived happily ever after."  
  
It was a classic fairy tale ending. Zelda drew a breath of fresh air, and smiled. She had never felt so wonderful as she did today. Everything, at last, was right. She had even seen Harlan and Ayara out for a moonlit stroll through the garden the previous night, and this reassured her very much about the future of Calatia.  
  
And she, of course, would have her very own Link, for all the rest of time..  
  
He had learned to run a nation very well, and seemed eager to start the task. And Zelda would always be there to guide him. Always. She liked the sound of that word. The princess laughed for pure joy and went off in search of breakfast.  
  
After that was finished, the day's festivities began, at least for the four royals; the townspeople had been celebrating all through the night with music and dancing, and were still at it now. The castle tailor had finished all of the wedding clothes. Zelda's own dress was lavender, and made of lace but not too lacy, if you understand. The design was very basic, but that was really what served to make it as fabulous as it was.  
  
The guest list was incredibly extensive. Fortunately, the Great Hall was the biggest space in all of Hyrule. (Actually, it got rather cold in there, but anyone hardly ever went in alone, and with several hundred people it tended to feel warmer.) There were all the usual courtiers, several foreign dukes or duchesses, the mayor of Clock Town from Termina and his wife, and also the princesses, prince, and Link's own personal friends. The hero was very happy to see that Malon was there, and even more happy to see that she had brought someone with her, some boy about their age. Her face, however, was soon lost in the sea of people.  
  
It was 11:55. At 12:00 exactly, the weddings would start. Link and Zelda met in the hallway above the doors. "I remember the last time I was here," Link reflected thoughtfully.  
  
Zelda remembered, and chuckled. "So do I."  
  
"Come a long way since then," he said.  
  
"Yeah. Now you can find your own place to sit."  
  
This brought a laugh out of Link. Right at that moment, for the second time in Link's life, the tall golden doors were thrown open, and what felt like several thousand pairs of eyes were all trained to the back of the room. "Wow.." Link couldn't help it.  
  
"Come on, that's us!" For the second time in her life, Zelda slipped a graceful hand under Link's arm and they started off down the tall stairs. Together.  
  
They arrived at the far side of the carpet, where the priest was waiting. For the priest's part, he was the official priest of the Temple of Time, but he was rarely actually in it. When he was, all he ever really did was sit and pray. He considered it far too holy even for himself, and instead spent his time in his own tower studying to make himself perhaps wise enough to be worthy.  
  
He opened an ancient leather-bound tome to a page that had been marked with a ribbon, and began to read in the language of ancient Hylia. (Actually, the language wasn't read; it was sung, but in this case it means the same thing.) At the very end, he closed the book and said the simple words: "Marriage is forever." He went to unfold the scarlet cape.  
  
Link could not believe that this was happening. Not a month ago he had been wandering, wondering what he was going to do with the rest of his life, and now here he was, standing at the end of this long red carpet with the princess by his side, about to be crowned King of Hyrule. Not only that, but he loved the princess that was beside him, and she truly loved him too. It was almost too good to be true.  
  
In fact, it was.  
  
"Wait; stop," said Impa's voice from behind them. The princess and the hero turned, and she was racing up the red carpet. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm terribly sorry, but-"  
  
"Is something the matter, Lady Sage?" the priest asked. He had returned with the cape by now.  
  
"Yes..I fear there is some terrible news. Please come with me," she said, gesturing Link and Zelda after her. "Hold Harlan and Ayara's wedding, too, until we can be sure." And with that she started off back in the way she had come, and Link and Zelda had no choice but to follow.  
  
"Impa? What's going on?" Zelda asked as they ran down the hall.  
  
"It concerns the Triforce," Impa replied. "They've found a way to be rid of it, but-" She did not finish the sentence, because they had arrived in the room that they were looking for.  
  
It was a conference room. At a low table in the center, there sat several castle historians, Rauru, and the King. (Zelda had been wondering why her father had not been in the Great Hall.) "Come, sit," the King said. His eyes were filled with so much sadness. Link and Zelda slowly slid into two seats.  
  
One of the historians began. "Of course, you will recall that the thing plaguing Hyrule is a Triforce, a fourth one gone unheard of for a very long time, and the damage it is causing.well, we simply cannot have it."  
  
There were nods.  
  
"Well," he sighed. "I guess I'll cut right to the point. The only way to rid Hyrule of this abomination is." He took a deep breath. "Link must go back in time, replace the Master Sword, and thus close the Door of Time before Ganondorf could touch the Triforce in the first place."  
  
"That doesn't sound too bad," Link said.  
  
"But," Rauru cut in, "none of the things that happened will have ever taken place. Link, you'll be a simple forest boy again, Zelda, you'll be a normal princess.and all the people of Hyrule will be able to live free of the memory of their seven years of sadness. We will not even remember this council."  
  
"Oh, no, no, there must be some other way.." Zelda said, her voice failing and her eyes shining with held-back tears.  
  
The King sighed. "You must understand how completely barbaric we feel about all this. But, it is the only way.." He regained composure, as much as he could. "There is a spell. We will do it in the Temple of Time tomorrow. But.the one to cast it must be Zelda."  
  
The princess had no reply. It wasn't that she was speechless; it was just that nothing came.  
  
"There is nothing else to say," the historian said. "You may go."  
  
Everyone arose slowly and made their ways to the door. The King put a reassuring hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Take heart," he said kindly. "By this time tomorrow, you won't remember."  
  
The princess attempted to smile.  
  
  
  
Needless to say, Ayara and Harlan were more than a little surprised when their wedding was suddenly cancelled, but after everything was explained, they were nothing but sympathy. A delegation came to take Ayara back to Bespar, since all wedding plans were called off until further notice. There were a great many discussions between the rulers of the three involved countries.  
  
That night, Link and Zelda met by starlight in the garden. For a while, very little was actually said; they simply stood in each other's arms for a long time. Finally, they sat down on a bench and spoke.  
  
"This is crazy," Link said. "I-we-come all this way for nothing?"  
  
"It is maddening," Zelda agreed. She paused. "I'll never forget you. I don't care what my father said. Love is stronger than time."  
  
"I hope so," he said, "because-no matter what might happen-I would rather have lived these past short weeks with you than all of eternity alone.."  
  
She looked up at the stars. "Your constellation will be there," she said. "Even if the astronomers don't think it's anything, it will still be you to me."  
  
"I'll give you something to remember me by," Link said, thinking fast. He dug in his pocket, and his hand closed on Din's Fire. "Take this," he said, handing it to her. "I have no longer a use for it. But you might need it someday."  
  
Zelda took it. "Thank you," she said, and put it in her own pocket, and there were no more words that night. 


	23. Epilogue

The next morning, Zelda was up before the sun.  
  
She dressed quietly. She had been supplied with a special costume for the performing of the spell. It was simple; a robe the color of sand that fastened in the front, decorated only with plain embroidery here and there. The sleeves were long, and fell very far. Zelda didn't notice a stitch of it.  
  
Her mind was numb. All she had to focus on was the spell. It was simple enough; the priest would say ancient words, and Zelda, the one that cast the spell, as well as Link, the receiver, would fall away from the Temple of Time into an orb of the sky. There, she would play a song on the ocarina, and that would be all. Link would be gone, and she would not remember any more.  
  
Her heart was breaking, but Zelda pushed it back. This was what had to happen. She had to find the will to carry on.  
  
When the first light of dawn appeared over the east, the entirety of the court was gathered outside the castle. The procession made its way silently down the road, not quiet for tradition but for their mood. Link and Zelda exchanged silent glances. They both understood. Life wasn't fair. It was just fairer than death.  
  
They reached the Temple. Link and Zelda took their places. The priest spoke his words of ancient Hylian, and then it was all gone.  
  
Link and Zelda were alone, in a brilliant void of blue skies and fluffy clouds, the type that you would see in a dream. A dreamer's sky. It stretched in all directions, as far as the eye could see all around them, but Link and Zelda could not move any further than a ten-foot square. The hero looked around, trying to orient himself.  
  
"Thank you, Link," Zelda began, attempting to be cheerful. "Because of you, Hyrule will be safe..for a time."  
  
"The barrier won't last forever?" Link asked.  
  
She smiled sadly. "Only about three hundred years.."  
  
"Will there be another hero?"  
  
She nodded. "That hero will be named after you."  
  
Link smiled sadly as well. "Will Hyrule ever be at complete peace?"  
  
"Possibly never." Zelda paused, then said: "All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule is my doing. I was so young-I couldn't comprehend the consequences of trying to control the powers of the Sacred Realm, and-"  
  
She was stopped short when Link put a finger to her lips. "Shh," he said. "Don't say that. No one could have done as much as you did for Hyrule."  
  
"No one could have hurt it as much, either. And now, we're here, and it's all my fault.."  
  
"Zelda, don't be so hard on yourself."  
  
She did not answer right away. "You have to go back," Zelda said, thoroughly miserable. "Regain your lost time!"  
  
"I will see you again," Link promised.  
  
"Link.." Zelda held out her hand. "Give the ocarina to me. I can return you to your original time with it. Where you are supposed to be.the way you are supposed to be.."  
  
Link handed her the ocarina. Zelda rose it slowly to her lips, and began to blow slowly, one note, and then another-  
  
"Wait." Link said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Zelda broke out of her trance and dropped the ocarina from her mouth. Link put his arms around her, and held her tight, and brushed his lips against hers one last time. The princess did nothing but stand and kiss back and let the tears roll silently down her face.  
  
Finally, they parted. "I love you," Link whispered.  
  
She brought the ocarina back up again, and played the calm strains of her own song, Zelda's Lullaby, and there was a beam of blue light, and when Zelda opened her eyes again she was standing in the Temple of Time, and Link was not there. "I love you, too," she whispered, though no one could hear.  
  
  
  
Days passed, and then days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, and Zelda never forgot. Love really was stronger than time. The rest of the world did, of course; and, if you will remember, Zelda and Harlan's marriage was arranged while the court was in Calatia as a result of Ganondorf, so now there was no marriage. The curse on King Harkinian had been lifted; or rather, it was never there to begin with, so life in the castle was a little bit more peaceful.  
  
Link didn't forget either. He didn't remember, exactly, because he was too young to be in love, but as he grew it came back. He did make a name for himself saving Termina from a renegade mask, which brought him to attention in the court of Hyrule.  
  
So that maybe, just maybe, on a day when the lights of the rainbow were shining, his name might surface in Harkinian's mind when the time came again to choose an heir. 


	24. Author's Notes

I hope that ending didn't suck too much. I don't want to write tragedies anymore. They're just so.tragic.  
  
Well, after you've put up with 24 chapters, you don't have to read my author's notes. But I hope you do, because they might explain some things. Ahem.  
  
This story is actually just the last and best incarnation of a lot of stories, all with a common purpose: to send Link back in time with a better reason. Let's be honest here: Ocarina of Time was a great game, but the ending sucked. I mean, come on. Now, I realize that Majora's Mask wasn't released entirely on the runaway success of OoT, and perhaps something bigger is going on at Nintendo (we hope!), but as of my ant-on- the-chessboard position right now, the ending sucked. However, being who I am, I did like the idea of Link having to go back in time and leave his one true love, Zelda (because I am fully L/Z), so I went on a literary quest to find a better explanation.  
  
My original idea was that perhaps Link created some sort of disturbance in the time-warp continuum, and he had to go back or Hyrule would be jumping around in time forevermore. That story (called "An Appropriate Time," I believe) originally took place at Hyrule castle, but into planning a little bit, it hit me.Hyrule castle is kind of not really standing. So, I moved the story out to the Spirit Temple, which actually worked well because the Gerudo would present a conflict. The way I saw it, Link had three months before he would hit his eighteenth birthday, and Hyrule's time sort of condition would worsen continually until it just kind of fell apart on that happy date. However, writing on a specific timetable was deceptively hard, because I had to keep accurate track as well as writing it so that readers could keep accurate track too. Plus, I didn't really like how the romance was going. It was, but it wasn't. The story's life ended after nine pages of my ramblings.  
  
After that, I kind of gave up on my quest for a while because I had just gotten A Link to the Past, and I was quite wrapped up in playing that. I became very interested in the Book of Mudora, and I found that a lot of gamers like to add their own input to the Book that you could often find online if you went to Yahoo and typed the Book's name. During one such search, I ran across a tale that mentioned a fourth Triforce, Ambition, and I was intrigued. And then I remembered my quest, and Link's going back in time because the Triforce must be set to rest.and it all fell into place! (A note on the Book of Mudora: the actual Book itself is written in LttP by Sahasrahla, three hundred years after the end of OoT. I had to break some rules. I'm sorry, send me to my room.)  
  
I was certainly not going back to the Spirit Temple again, so I gave Hyrule a month to get the castle back together, and put the story there. This time around, Link and Zelda were not going to be friends first; no, they were going to fight! Have a relationship that started out argumentative, then evolved into a warm friendship with something missing, and then...love. I also wanted the romance to be as impossible as I could make it, so I engaged Zelda to Harlan, prince of Calatia. (Link and Malon came in later on a spur-of-the-moment author's block desperation thing.)  
  
And speaking of Calatians! One of the points I wanted to cover with this: Most fics make Calatians look mean, evil, stuck-up, snotty, greedy, jealous, lustful, or otherwise unpleasant. I didn't want them to be. I wanted them to be like Zelda's extended family! That was what made it so hard for Zelda to come back to the castle and kind of be deceiving Harlan, because she did love him, but as a brother, as a best friend. Plus, he's in love with her, and she doesn't want to hurt him.  
  
It was about this point that it hit me: once they get back to the castle, it's basically all downhill from there, so that when Link goes back in time, you just don't care anymore. And that's when I had this bright idea! I was going to have Link and Zelda married! Just to give one a little bit of hope before the end's final, um, ending.  
  
Another thing I wanted to make sure I got to was the Malon issue. Now, most L/Z fics make Malon look like a country bumpkin, and most L/M fics make Zelda look like a spoiled brat. I didn't want any of that; I didn't want it to look like a victory for Zelda, because she couldn't help falling in love, and I didn't want Link to look like he was cheating, because he never meant to. Zelda and Malon are both good people, but they're both different people, and Link falls in love with Zelda. I really hated writing chapter sixteen. Heck, it made me want to do a M/L fic!  
  
As far as the characters go, the original models for Link and Zelda were, respectively, to be King Mongkut and Anna from The King and I (which is a fine film that I highly recommend). Link was supposed to be strong- willed but endearing, and Zelda was supposed to be proper but understanding. They still show touches of those aspects in the story, but before too long Link and Zelda began to form their own personalities. Link was passionate; he never said everything he was planning; he needed someone to talk to; he always said everything on his mind, for better or worse. Zelda was a romantic; she liked to have things lain out; she was compassionate; inside, she did like the fact that they were breaking rules. And somehow, they clicked.  
  
I had about a zillion influences for this fic. There were a couple of songs that I listened to during the writing (mostly "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne and "Mourning" by Tantric), but mostly I used movies. A lot of movies. Everything from The King and I to Time Share to Moulin Rouge!. Well, really, it was more the music of Moulin Rouge! than the plotline. For example, Christian's little piece during the Tango was an influence during Zelda's dinner with Harlan, and "The Show Must Go On" was the whole mood of most of the epilogue. (By the way, Moulin Rouge! is the honestly the best movie I have ever seen and I recommend it to everyone.) I can't remember everything, but those were the main ones.  
  
"Dreamer's Sky" is not a story about the Triforce. It's a story about love. But, if you'd like to keep track of what was actually happening with the fourth Force, I will now sum it up for you:  
  
There was always a fourth Force, of Ambition. No one knows how it got there; the goddesses didn't put it there, and since they didn't it was slowly forgotten by people throughout time. When Ganondorf touched the Triforce and caused it to split, the fourth Force went too; however, there was no heir to it, for the line had been broken during the wars prior to OoT. So, it just sort of drifted about, and the power that it radiated awoke monsters, but these monsters went unnoticed in the wave of the Imprisoning War. After the battles of the war were done, though, and monsters still appeared, it was evident that something had to be done, and as all of you OoT freaks (like me) know, the only way to set the Triforce (or Tetraforce, I suppose) back to right was to send Link back in time to before Ganondorf got into the Sacred Realm, and nothing would ever have happened. There is no other way it can be, and if the Force wasn't dealt with it would haunt Hyrule forever, so heart-wrenching as it may be Link is history... literally.  
  
Well, school is a-starting soon, so I might have to take a break from fics for a while. Of course, I also don't have any ideas..aah! Well, actually, I have one half-baked idea for an original novel, the plot points of which are still bubbling away, and also a fully-baked novel idea. One or two ideas for Zelda stories, maybe an FFX..whatever. Right now I've got to handle Barrington's Honors English. Well, my sincerest gratitude for reading my little ficcy here. Please do review.  
  
Until we meet again, Valkeyrie 


End file.
